A lawsuit brought by Carver County Commissioner Tom Workman against the Chanhassen Villager was settled out of court, according to a statement issued by the newspaper and Workman this week.

“Red Wing Publishing Co., owner of the Chanhassen Villager weekly newspaper, and Carver County Commissioner Tom Workman of Chanhassen have settled a defamation suit that was pending between the parties for several years,” according to the statement.

"After some of the claims were dismissed prior to trial, a jury ruled for Mr. Workman on the remaining claims in 2004. However, the Minnesota Court of Appeals overturned portions of the jury’s verdict and the judgment and ordered a retrial on Mr. Workman's damages. That trial was scheduled to begin on Feb. 5, 2008, in Carver County District Court. The settlement resolves the entire litigation. By agreement of the parties, the terms of the settlement are confidential.”

See complete story in this Thursday's print edition.