Mentor Businessman Settles Lawsuit With Lake County Deputy

Mentor businessman Jabra Deir and Lake County Deputy John Kelly have settled the lawsuit that Kelly filed against Deir last January in Lake County Court of Common Pleas.

In the suit, Kelly said he was injured while arresting Deir.

Kelly responded to a crash on Jan. 15, 2010, when Deir, who owns Deir Jewelers, drove into a ditch. When Kelly tried to remove Deir from his car, Deir thrashed around and struggled with him, according to the lawsuit.

Kelly claims he was injured during the struggle and that his injuries have cost him medical expenses and lost wages in excess of $25,000.

The lawsuit accused Deir of acting recklessly. Consequently, Kelly had asked for more than $25,000 in punitive damages.

Deir was charged with and convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and resisting arrest after the incident. The judge sentenced him to 30 days in jail.

The suit ws settled and dismissed with prejudice at Deir's expense. Because it was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be refiled.

The terms of the settlement were not released.

Deir was sued once before by a deputy before under similar circumstances.

Former Lake County Sheriff Deputy Scott Pruter sued Deir when they scuffled while Pruter was arresting Deir on suspicion of drunken driving on June 22, 2004.

Pruter claimed Deir repeatedly hit him and caused injuries that forced him to retire.

Deir was convicted of assault and sentenced to two years in prison because of the incident. However, Pruter lost his lawsuit because he claimed Deir acted in negligence when he kicked him.

Deir successfully argued that he intended to kick Pruter, so his actions could not be considered negligent.