Posted on 02/23/2014 6:17:57 AM PST by lowbridge
A man who was framed by a rogue detective and served 23 years in prison for a murder he did not commit will receive $6.4 million from the City of New York in a settlement that came before a civil rights lawsuit was even filed, lawyers involved in the case said on Thursday.
A $150 million claim filed last year by the man, David Ranta, was settled by the city comptroller’s office without ever involving the city’s legal department — which the lawyers involved in the negotiations described as a “groundbreaking” decision that acknowledged the overwhelming evidence the city faced.
The comptroller’s quick acceptance of liability in the high-profile conviction is also significant because the case is the first of what is expected to be a series of wrongful conviction claims by men who were sent to prison based on the flawed investigative work of the detective, Louis Scarcella, who has been accused of inventing confessions, coercing witnesses and recycling informers.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Just wondering, did you read the article? Your conjecture seems completely unconnected to this particular case.
You know a lot of folks who would falsely admit to a crime for the mere possibility of an award somewhere down the line? The settlements are not at all a sure thing.
One thing to have the money up front, I would think it quite another to never know if you were going to get out alive, much less ever get a dime.
I think that faked wrongful imprisonment would be fairly easy to rule out. In order to try to purposely be “wrongly imprisoned”, wouldn’t a gold digger have to confess and try to contrive some sort of evidence? If a confession is on record, and it is later shown the person is innocent, and video evidence shows the confession was not coerced in any way—I think wrongful imprisonment would be difficult to prove.
In the Tim Masters case—which was the subject of a documentary—he never confessed, and always maintained his innocence. Furthermore, there was never physical evidence that linked him to the crime. He received $10 million for wrongful imprisonment.
The only person I have heard of who would willingly do something like that is you personally.
Really.
Ever.
There are not near as many people who would do the things you would do as you think, and announcing that on a public forum only reveals your thought process.
Get help.
Not a huge fan of the psychological profession, but in your case its probably warranted,
And send him to prison.I like it.
Or.....it could have been a dirty cop/detective - not like that has ever happened.
It's possible to be supported of LEOs without pulling a teachers' union and surrounding the bad ones with unwavering support.
“There are a lot of folks who would willingly trade ten or so years of “imprisonment” for millions of dollars in settlement money from any city state or federal entity.”
Oh really? Well, in this guys’ case I doubt your hypothesis would prevail. Sometimes I am just amazed at some folks thought processes.
“Not a huge fan of the psychological profession, but in your case its probably warranted, “
Amen to that!
No mention of corrupt law enforcement? Are you an LEO? Along your train of thought how many cops lie and cheat and steal for twenty years so they can spend the next twenty dreaming of how they never got the chance to shoot someone?
Corruption is as corruption does and LEO’s lead the pack.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Again!
And who is to say that’s not what happened here?
Fool.
Take a lump sum, move to Arizona and invest in Apple, Google and Amazon.com.
I read about that case. It is absolutely disgusting and those responsible should suffer. Events like in TX and MA broke my support of the death penalty. The only way I will continue to support it is if the Judicial and Executive branches of State Gov agree to suffer the same fate if found to be guilty of executing a citizen on faulty evidence. We know that will never happen because those in power hate accountability.
I would move to the Texas form of appeals process, victims survivors deserve justice, just as much as criminals deserve to appeal, but it should not take 20 yrs to get that justice.
Who protects the victims Survivors? It sure isn't the justice system.
Most states don't even have Victims Rights, most that do have only Statutory ones that are as worthless as a Restraining order. TN has Constitutional Victims Rights, thanks to the survivors of murdered Loved Ones. We also have the right to video/audio tape a Victims Impact Statement for Parole hearings. Which the survivor has to travel to the prison the inmate is housed. Many cannot afford to or are infirm. We have to pay taxes to house them, try them and to travel to those parole hearings. I had to travel from Memphis to the far end of TN Johnson City 11 hrs for them, that came out of our pockets and paychecks for taking time off work. We have no say when they are scheduled. Many times you get less than a month's notice of one.
Yes I am the parent of a MURDERED CHILD, Sociopath wanted so see what it felt like to KILL. My child was 16, with the development both physical and mental of a 12 year old. I got a lousy plea bargain, 1st down to 2nd with a median sentence that ranged from 10-30 yrs, he got 20 yrs, and 6 parole hearings. Took 2 yrs to get to the plea deal, liberal prosecutor. First one was just ten MONTHS after the bad plea deal in which I was not consulted. The prosecutor RAN every time he saw me coming toward him. I was not allowed a Victims Impact Statement.
But I sure learned a lot. "Your honor, my client is not in your court room today, he's down the hall in another judges court room on another criminal offense." Bail was not revoked, new date set for 1 month later.
My Jeremy lies in a cold grave, his killer walks free to kill again! You cannot fix a sociopath no more than you can a child RAPIST!
Probably not difficult to stay alive in a country club prison with other white collar criminals from banks, Wall Street, real estate companies, mortgage companies, etc.
In the Massachusetts case, the lab tech Annie Dookhan pled guilty and will serve 3 to 5 in State prision. Her immediate supervisors were fired; but that's it. Dookhan's actions will cost the State taxpayers millions.
When a DA or cop or forensic person lies, withholds evidence or otherwise intentionally does not do their job, they should receive the same sentence which would be given or would have been given to the defendant.
What about the rogue detective? Seems to me in would only be fair that he get sent up the river for 23 years.
Even better
I asked students questions like this. The last one was “for a million dollars, would you kill your pet?”
I stopped asking these questions.
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