Wounded teen settles for $750,000
November 26, 2003
MILFORD - A Shelton teenager, shot at a party two years ago, was paid $750,000 in an out-of-court settlement Tuesday. The settlement for Jessica Scinto, 17, was reached as jury selection in a lawsuit against Craig and Maria Bursey, owners of the home where the party was held, was to begin in Superior Court here.
"The settlement allows my client to pay for her medical bills, which were substantial, and allows her to be fairly compensated for all she has been through," said Scinto's lawyer, Douglas Mahoney of the Bridgeport law firm, Tremont and Sheldon. On Sept. 30, 2001, Scinto, then 15, was attending a party of Shelton High School students organized by Craig Bursey Jr., then 18, in his parents' home on Gray Street, police said. The parents were not home at the time.
During the party Bursey bragged about his father's handgun and offered to show it to the other teens, police said. He removed the .32-caliber handgun from a sock drawer in his parents' bedroom and was showing it off when it discharged, shooting Scinto once in the chest, police said.
Mahoney said Scinto was rushed into emergency surgery at Bridgeport Hospital where it was determined the bullet had lacerated her liver and caused a blood clot in her heart.
"There was a lot of internal bleeding and she is very, very lucky to be alive," he said.
Mahoney said the girl suffered permanent scarring from the surgery, but was eventually able to return to school. Bursey was initially charged with second-degree assault and later granted accelerated rehabilitation, a special form of probation for first-time offenders.
Neither he nor his parents could be reached for comment on the settlement.
Daniel Tepfer, who covers state courts and law enforcement issues, can be reached at 330-6308.
© 2003 The Connecticut Post. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
If you believe that you have been injured in any manner, you must act swiftly to protect your rights. Please click here if you would like us to review your situation.
*Se Habla Español
*Available 24/7
*No Attorney Fees - Unless Recovery Received
Costs Not Contingent Upon Case Outcome