Local attorney drops suit after students apologize

Joseph Ballinger and Steven Chadwick had luck on their side Thursday. The two IU seniors were caught on tape vandalizing Bloomington attorney Ken Nunn's office in October 2000. Nunn formally dropped his lawsuit against the two students yesterday after getting what he wanted -- an apology.\nAfter noticing a series of acts of vandalism outside of his office building, Nunn hired a surveillance team, which included multiple cameras and two off-duty police officers at the cost of $15,000 total. Three days into surveillance, the tape recorded two men destroying the office building's exterior lights. Nunn said this occurred three times before he hired the surveillance team.\nThe students were arrested and cited with criminal mischief charges. One was given pretrial diversion, which allowed him to avoid criminal prosecution. The other paid a fine. Nunn later filed a $10,000 lawsuit against the students in order to repay the estimated damages.\n"I wouldn't have lost with the evidence I had," Nunn said. "I thought about when I was young and things I had done wrong. When I thought about how I learned, I decided to accept an apology."\nIn 1956, 17-year-old Ken Nunn made a mistake, according to The Indianapolis Star. Sporting an Elvis look-alike haircut, Nunn popped open a truck parked at a golf course and found a golf bag. He took so me balls, all the clubs and headed for the course's driving range. Forty shots later, the police and owner of the stolen clubs found Nunn enjoying his erratic drives. The widely-recognized Bloomington attorney learned a valuable lesson. The owner, who happened to be a lawyer, did not press charges.\n"At one time, we've all done something we regret," Nunn said. "These boys are nice guys and will learn from this experience."\nBallinger was unavailable for comment, but Chadwick said they regretted their actions. He was relieved by Nunn's decision to drop the lawsuit.\n"What occurred is something I'm not proud of, and I'm very embarrassed about it," Chadwick said.\nThe students met with Nunn recently and discussed the terms. Chadwick and Ballinger apologized and left after shaking hands with Nunn.\n"They've learned their lesson, and what goes around comes around," Nunn said. "Maybe they'll give someone a break in the future. It's a result that is best for the boys and best for me"