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On September 30, 1999 Pat Zimmer received a jury verdict for her client, Draphy Durgins. Draphy had been attacked and handcuffed to a fence by two of her fellow police officers. She was fired six months later because the department wanted to put an end to the negative publicity about the incident. Public employers, like the East St. Louis Police Department, are liable under federal law for violating their employees' Constitutional rights, such as the First Amendment right to free speech that was violated in this case. The jury awarded Draphy a total of $205,000.00. The judge will be deciding whether or not Draphy is entitled to get her job back, after a hearing on December 16.