A Rural County Owes $28 Million for Wrongful Convictions. It Doesn’t Want to Pay[Nebraska]

The New York Times ^ | 01 April 2019 | Jack Healy

[zeugma]

This crime happened in 1985. If anyone is at all financially liable it would be anyone still alive who lived in that county in 1985. Certainly not the current residents. What these people are looking for is called reparations. Certainly the current county residents are in no way responsible for what happened nearly 30 years ago

I'd have to say that doesn't really track. The government that prosecuted (persecuted) these people still exists. It exists as an entity in the same way that a corporate entity does. If a corporation dumps a bunch of dioxin in a hole, and this is discovered 20 years later, the corporation is still on the hook for the costs even though few of the existing shareholders that currently own the corporation may have been shareholders at the time the deed was done. Just because the entity that did it was a government doesn't give them a pass for being held responsible for it.

[zeugma]

I'd further follow up to answer your question about slavery 'reparations' to say the two situations are not similar in several ways. The main difference is that in this instance, you have actual living victims who were specifically wronged by the government. Those victims should be compensated. That is hugely different from saying that the great, great, great grandchildren of slaves, who were never actually slaves themselves are somehow owed moneys from the great, great, great grandchildren of people who may or may not have had anything at all to do with slavery.

Personally, I'd rather see those who took part in this travesty get sentenced to the terms they saddled the victims with. That would be justice, and might help prevent things like this from happening again in the future. The problem with that is that the government adheres to the concept of 'sovereign immunity' which would largely protect any of those who are actually responsible. Because of this, you pretty much have to take it out on government itself, and the taxpayers that fund it.

[Western Phil]

“Perhaps the county will raise property taxes.”

It appears that the county has already increased the property taxes to their legal limit and a multi-year settlement is necessary.

[The Antiyuppie]

“I’d have to say that doesn’t really track. The government that prosecuted (persecuted) these people still exists. It exists as an entity in the same way that a corporate entity does. If a corporation dumps a bunch of dioxin in a hole, and this is discovered 20 years later, the corporation is still on the hook for the costs even though few of the existing shareholders that currently own the corporation may have been shareholders at the time the deed was done. Just because the entity that did it was a government doesn’t give them a pass for being held responsible for it.”

This is a very good explanation of why the government is still accountable.

[The Antiyuppie]

“The problem with that is that the government adheres to the concept of ‘sovereign immunity’ which would largely protect any of those who are actually responsible. Because of this, you pretty much have to take it out on government itself, and the taxpayers that fund it. “

I’d like to see some limitations on soverign immunity. When a government official _knowingly and willingly_ fails to uphold the law they should not be protected by it when there are negative consequences and damages. That would put a very quick end to sanctuary cities.