<p>People don’t get that kind of money for being wrongly incarcerated.</p>
<p>This was a vindictive & willful prosecution may have also resulted in the death threats that were mentioned in the media. Is that worth some compensation as well? I think so! These guys might still be living in fear of being murdered by some nut.</p>
<p>Only certain people get that type of compensation. This man spent 10 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Justice is not blind:</p>
<p>“Robinson was convicted in 1987 for the rape of a University of Houston student, even though he did not fit the attacker’s description and his fingerprints were not found at the scene. A DNA test cleared Robinson, and in 2000 he was pardoned by then-Gov. George W. Bush.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/228975.html[/url]”>http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/228975.html</a></p>
<p>Since we no longer allow for exacting our pound of flesh, I think money works for them. What they choose to do with it, it their business. </p>
<p>No one has to like it or approve of it, it our laws that allow it. Let’s see how it plays out.</p>
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<p>That is very true. I have to say, though, the court system recognizes punitive damages as a means for changing behavior - doubtless $30M will change some behavior about what it takes to incarcerate.</p>
<p>Hondu - according to the Innocence Project, there was compensation in that case ([Case</a> File](<a href=“http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/245.php]Case”>http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/245.php)). Specifically, $250,000. Now, a quarter-mil does not $10M make, granted, but we haven’t seen what these three men will actually get yet. </p>
<p>I also think it is important in this case to determine if the district attorney, lead investigator, lead interviewer, and head of the testing facility all hid or misidentified evidence in Mr. Robinson’s case. Or gave dozens of interviews. Etc. Beyond that, perhaps the proper tack is to be yelling about the paltry $250,000 sum and demand that it get up to $10 Mil.</p>
<p>City of Durham won’t be the only defendant. Nifong and a number of other individuals will be named for their part in this.
Certainly don’t want Nifong profiting from his book (ala OJ) “How I did it”.
Need a big judgment to make sure Ex-DA Nifong, Ex-Nurse Levacy, Durham Police Investigator Gottleib, to name a few, can’t profit from their misdeeds.
:):):)</p>
<p>^^Not ALL parties did the mis-deed thing - some did their jobs - tho hidden in all the rucus - why you blaming the nurse??</p>
<p>Nifong is the guiltiest of the guilty - leader of the pack on this one - and is paying for it. Now the city of Durham will pay - for keeping him in office regardless of his poor work ethic - and general poor ethics as well. The city of Durham put him there - the city of Durham will pay - they have the deep pockets.</p>
<p>JeepMOM-
Because Levicy “changed” her “Recollections” to fit the absence of lacrosse Player DNA.</p>
<p>At the time of the initial interview with Mangum in March 14, 2006 Levicy recorded that no Condoms were used.</p>
<p>In an interview by Durham Police Investigators in January 10, 2007 Levicy stated that the “the victim wasn’t sure if condom’s were used.”
This change in her “recollection” was clearly done to aid Nifong’s Prosecution of the remaining assault and kidnapping charges.</p>
<p>Link to Video of Levicy’s testimony in Nifong’s NC Bar Trial June 15, 2007 <a href=“http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1806227667809321070[/url]”>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1806227667809321070</a>
(video runs 20 min 32 sec) Relevant testimony starts about 15 min into the video.
Judge for yourself.
:):):)</p>
<p>epistrophy: “Is it also necessary, in order to ensure that this doesn’t happen to “another Duke student,” that the City of Durham (or, more precisely, the taxpapers) go beyond compensating these guys and their families for their (substantial) out-of-pocket losses and turn them, instantly, into very wealthy young men?”</p>
<p>In a word, YES!
To quote someone else: “Thus, this is not a case of a city being victimized by an unscrupulous prosecutor. Instead, it is a city that demanded that a prosecutor be unscrupulous – and he honored that request.”</p>
<p>It’s like the old sign says: “In God We Trust…all others pay cash.” If it takes the threat of said cash payment to make some real reforms happen, then I - as one of the folks looking at an extra $120 in taxes for the payoff, am willing to pay. Again, if real reforms happen…</p>
<p>I hate that men and women - especially and most often men and women without means - have been totally screwed by the system and some of the unscrupulous people that are in it. The questions, at this juncture and with these three people are - can there be change and what does it take to make said change. If it ends up taking a case where a white DA goes after white defendants to make changes that benefit people of all nationalities, races, origins, and skin tones - then I will mourn the fact that it takes that but celebrate that it is finally happening and hope/work to see that broad changes are made…</p>
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<p>OOOOOOOO ok uuummmmm if you say so…</p>
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<p>I read that the City of Durham has $5 million in insurance. The rest will have to be picked up by the tax-payers.</p>
<p>^ Maybe the City can get some financial help from Jesse Jackson and Sharpton.</p>
<p>Interesting column today by the N&O’s Barry Saunders, entitled “They seek payback, not pay.” Definitely worth a read. <a href=“http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/duke_lacrosse/story/699899.html[/url]”>http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/duke_lacrosse/story/699899.html</a></p>
<p>In part:</p>
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<p>Again, I’m also reminded of Allan Gell, who spent 9 years on death row. His prosecutors deliberately withheld evidence that would not only have cleared him, it would have resulted in dropping the case against him. Instead, they withheld that evidence, and he spent 9 years-- not just in jail-- but on death row. What did his prosecutors get? Basically, a slap on the wrist. They’re still practicing.</p>
<p>Jack, why do you have a problem with the lax players being compensated? If Mr. Dail & other wrongly accused & incarcerated citizens are not getting fair recompense for their suffering, why not fight for them to recover more $$$? That’s certainly a valuable use of your time; resenting the Duke boys’ possible payout won’t do a darn thing about correcting injustices. It’s really a waste of your and Mr. Saunders’ energy. Surely the Duke boys being shafted will in no way improve life or comfort for Mr. Dail. They all deserve justice, and that could include bundles of cash as far as I’m concerned. Locking up any officials who knowingly withheld evidence & witnesses who perjured themselves would be a good step, as well.</p>
<p>The reality is, the big $$ Numbers asked for in filing suit, are just to get the other sides attention.
Most suits are settled or go to a judgement that is a fraction of what is initially asked for, if they aren’t dismissed outright.
There a only a few counties in certain states where juries are plantiff friendly and award big judgements.
What makes anyone think a judge or jury will be unreasonable in what is awarded?
:):):)</p>
<p>Stickershock: I have no problem with the players being compensated for any and all costs they incurred with the legal system-- including whatever costs they paid to all their lawyers. They absolutely deserve that. Duke University also made a settlement with them; we don’t know how much that was, of course, but I can believe it was a hefty sum. </p>
<p>Nifong, admittedly, contributed to his own downfall, but his life (at least, his career) is effectively over. I have no idea if they’re going after him for money, too, but to now go after the city of Durham for $30 million is a little much. I think they’re getting very greedy at this point, and I suspect there will be a backlash for them in this regard, with Saunders’ column just the beginning of that.</p>
<p>To further quote Saunders’ article, “Judging by the amount they’re seeking, it appears they themselves have come to believe the hype that they are somehow heroic and deserving.”</p>
<p>I also have to wonder how much <em>they</em> themselves would like to keep this on the front pages. It almost seems to me that they have no desire to go back into relative obscurity at their respective schools and/or jobs. My guess is, even if they receive a hefty settlement, they will each continue to keep this and their names in the public eye for as long as they can. </p>
<p>At least one of them stated publicly that their names will forever be associated with this. Well, knowing how short and selective the public’s memory is, I doubt it. As long as they actively work to keep their names on the front pages, though, they may be right. I don’t think they want to be considered “old news.”</p>
<p>Finally, whatever settlement the city of Durham agrees on, I hope they subtract from the bottom line the amount they had to spend through the past years, answering complaints about the lacrosse team’s parties, etc. I’m sure the police dept had better things to do during that time, than continue to expend time, energy, and money on responding to complaints about the noise, etc.</p>
<p>From the Wall Street Journal:</p>
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<p><a href=“http://opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110010564[/url]”>http://opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110010564</a></p>
<p>(If that link doesn’t work, you can also get there by going to <a href=“http://aldaily.com/[/url]”>http://aldaily.com/</a> and then going to the link under the “New Books” column.)</p>
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<p>I had trouble remembering the individual names; Duke lacrosse team, I remember–but not the names of the individuals. Of course, I"m over 50, so am having trouble remembering a lot of things…</p>