“Barratry” is the “the persistent incitement of litigation.” It is a third-degree felony in the state of Texas. It’s also what City Councilwoman Tiffinni Young stands accused of in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, reports WFAA.
Young and a lawyer friend, Chris Chestnut, allegedly encouraged Matisha Ward to file suit against the city after Ward’s mother, Antoinette Brown, was mauled to death by loose dogs in May. Ward eventually hired attorney Tom Carse, who represents her in this suit and in a $5 million demand made against the city over Brown’s death:
“When Mrs. Ward said ‘I’ve talked to a lawyer’ and when the response was ‘call me,’ as opposed to, ‘I wish you the best,’ and drop it, Young didn’t drop it,” Carse said.
Chestnut told News 8 neither he nor Young did anything wrong. “I perceive it as Ms. Young trying to help a constituent who just lost her mom tragically in a horrific death,” Chestnut said when reached about the allegations. “She was just following up with the lady to see if I could help.”
Young told News 8 she was only trying to help Ward and even assisted her in setting up a Go Fund Me page to help pay for her mother’s funeral.
“I did not encourage her to file suit against the city,” Young told News 8 in a phone call. “I just said that if you feel you have a grievance with the city, you have a right to talk to an attorney.”
Ward says she feels Young was only interested in helping Chestnut get hired.
“If you are a city councilwoman, first of all, you don’t need to be trying to exploit people,” Ward said. “If you are going to be concerned, be concerned in the right way. Because, to me, she was just playing with my emotions and my heart.”
Ward is seeking up to $500,000 in damages against Chestnut and Young.
