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EC51FC1
Actions:
A. Turner took legal action, seeking damages for wrongful termination. The first case was dismissed
because his lawyer filed the lawsuit too late and on the wrong forms. The city counter-sued, and Turner
settled out of court, because the settlement would be less than the legal fees. Turner then sued that lawyer
for malpractice in 1999. In order to prove malpractice, he had to demonstrate to the jury that he would have
won the case if the paperwork had been properly submitted. This second trial was successful and he was
awarded a judgment of $290,000 on June 23, 2000.
B. After losing his first case, Turner's malpractice suit attracted the attention of professional engineering
societies. The American Engineering Alliance (AEA) in particular rallied support from engineering state
boards and other professional societies. When presenting his case to the jury, Turner had four professional
engineering societies and twenty-two state engineering boards vouching for his professional and legal
conduct.
C. The American Engineering Alliance (AEA), at the time chaired by Louis Comunelli, championed Turner's
cause. Starting in May 1998, Comunelli wrote letters to the Idaho licensure board, the governor of Idaho,
the Idaho State Bar Association, and the Idaho Attorney General informing them that the dismissal of the
case was an affront to the entire purpose of professional engineering licensing. In the letter to the Idaho
licensure board, Comunelli stated that "unless corrective action is taken, there is no longer a justification for
Registration of Engineers in the State of Idaho". The Idaho board, in addition to 21 other state boards,
would support Turner's second case because of the efforts of the AEA and other societies. The engineering
societies also requested that the society's members donate funds to help Turner with his legal fees.
Summary:
Ed Turner's case against the city of Idaho Falls is an excellent example of an engineer standing up for his
principles and championing his profession's code of conduct. Turner acted courageously, particularly in
knowing he would face financial difficulty as a result of his choices. It takes extraordinary individuals like
Turner to defend engineering principles in the face of daily assaults; however, national and international
organizations play an important role in defending and promoting professional ethics. The Turner case begs
the question: Would more engineers be willing to stand up to poor management decisions if they
were more aware of success stories like Ed Turner's?