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Judge orders Air Force to pay $230M in Texas church shooting
Axios ^ | 02/08/2022 | Erin Doherty

Posted on 02/08/2022 10:13:30 AM PST by aimhigh

A federal judge on Monday ruled that the Air Force must pay more than $230 million to survivors and victims' families of the 2017 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in July ruled that the Air Force holds 60% of the responsibility for the shooting in the Texas church because it failed to enter the shooter's criminal history into a federal background check database used for gun purchases. More than 25 people were killed in the shooting.

Rodriguez on Monday ordered the Air Force to pay millions, which will compensate more than 80 family members of victims and survivors, for "pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, impairment, and loss of companionship or consortium."

(Excerpt) Read more at axios.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: airforce; banglist; church; churchshooting; devinkelley; devinpkelley; dubyajudge; smirkingchimpjudge; sutherlandsprings; texas; voicevote; wdtexas; xavierrodriguez
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To: aimhigh
I just looked up the Wikipedia article on this shooting, and the article initially claims that the shootings were not caused by "racism or animosity towards religion." But further down, it says that towards the end of his life the shooter had become an atheist who openly spoke against religion.

But I guess that had nothing to do with him going on a shooting rampage in a church. If this was just to get even with a former girlfriend, why did he shoot all those other people, and why in the church?
21 posted on 02/08/2022 10:36:42 AM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: Tai_Chung

100% agree with you. The liability for flooding illegals into America should give them the same liability. But no judge will ever allow it.


22 posted on 02/08/2022 10:37:33 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
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To: DesertRhino

To say nothing of the Taliban


23 posted on 02/08/2022 10:37:54 AM PST by xp38
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To: bert
"The air force is sovereign and not liable to a ruling by a corrupt judge"

No. The people of America are sovereign and the Air Force needs to pay for its negligence and covering up the crimes of its pet islamofascist invaders.

24 posted on 02/08/2022 10:38:14 AM PST by WMarshal ("No war for communism"I doubt they're smart enough to make the connection)
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To: aimhigh

Hmmm Kate Steinle comes to mind.


25 posted on 02/08/2022 10:39:02 AM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
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To: aimhigh

How do you determine percentage of blame?


26 posted on 02/08/2022 10:46:04 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: aimhigh

There has to be more to this story. The JAG office coordinates with off-base prosecutors. They discuss who has jurisdiction for which charges, who has a better case to make, etc. The county prosecutor had to be aware of the threat.


27 posted on 02/08/2022 10:59:44 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: aimhigh
Smokey was over the line Dude!   Mark it $230 with a bunch of zeros.   There are rules Dude!

The Judge is an idiot.

28 posted on 02/08/2022 11:10:53 AM PST by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: xp38

No kidding there.


29 posted on 02/08/2022 11:12:46 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
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To: matthew fuller

They were committed while he was in the USAF and IIRC on base housing. USAF all the way.


30 posted on 02/08/2022 11:21:46 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: T.B. Yoits

It is the USAF’s responsibility to report the convictions to the NICS system. They didn’t.


31 posted on 02/08/2022 11:22:20 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: aimhigh

Xavier Rodriguez, the woke judge who issued this ruling is ignoring the fact that the murder of these people was committed by Devin Kelley who didn’t have a lot of money so Rodriquez elected to assign blame to the Air Force because they can make a lot of taxpayer money available to fund his giant reward instead of blaming the perpatrator of the crime. This is what liberals always do. Don’t blame the guilty person. Blame someone with deep pockets. Tells alot about the mentality of Xavier Rodriquez!


32 posted on 02/08/2022 11:25:04 AM PST by maxwellsmart_agent
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To: silent majority rising

Does this create a legal precedent for law suits against government entities that do not report violent criminals? Think of Antifa member that participates in a riot but is not reported.

Can a later victims of that Antifa member, then sue the government?


33 posted on 02/08/2022 11:28:24 AM PST by taxcontrol (The choice is clear - either live as a slave on your knees or die as a free citizen on your feet.)
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To: nickcarraway

If the crimes equal 10 years in prison, but the Air Force is 60% responsible would the criminal get 4 years?


34 posted on 02/08/2022 11:31:18 AM PST by Tai_Chung
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To: silent majority rising

Individuals who are injured or whose property is damaged by the wrongful or negligent act of a federal employee acting in the scope of his or her official duties may file a claim with the government for reimbursement for that injury or damage. In order to state a valid claim, the claimant must demonstrate that (1) he was injured or his property was damaged by a federal government employee; (2) the employee was acting within the scope of his official duties; (3) the employee was acting negligently or wrongfully; and (4) the negligent or wrongful act proximately caused the injury or damage of which he complains. The claimant must also provide documentation establishing that his claim satisfies all the elements of the FTCA.
https://www.house.gov/doing-business-with-the-house/leases/federal-tort-claims-act

The FTCA came about because the (Army) Air Force ducked responsibility when they flew a plane into the side of a New York skyscraper.


35 posted on 02/08/2022 11:35:39 AM PST by PAR35
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To: aimhigh

Fixed it:

Judge orders Tax Payers to pay $230M in Texas church shooting

Nothing actually happens to anyone in the air force.


36 posted on 02/08/2022 11:36:34 AM PST by Revel
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To: DesertRhino
Not in prison you can't. He should have been in Leavenworth in 2017 for giving a toddler a skull fracture, strangling his wife, threating to kill the commanding officer and getting caught bringing he gun onto base to do so... all within 5 years of the shooting.

The USAF reduced it all to misdemeanors, dropped the gun charge, gave him a few months in the brig and dumped him out into society.

Do you know for certain that the crimes of giving a toddler a skull fracture, strangling his wife happened on Cannon AFB?   If not, the Air Force had no jurisdiction.   An Airman committing a crime off base is subject to civil authority in the United States.

Some bases permit weapons to be stored in on-base housing. While some installations require all personal weapons to be registered, others do not. Rules at some locations require that weapons in on-base housing be stored in locked safes. You can check with your local housing office for specific rules for your base.
It is not a blanket truth that personal weapons cannot be brought onbase.   We need the details before making snap judgements.
37 posted on 02/08/2022 11:38:45 AM PST by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: nickcarraway

It’s done everyday in courtrooms across the country.


38 posted on 02/08/2022 11:43:20 AM PST by Trailerpark Badass (“There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach,” said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass

I asked how do you determine it?


39 posted on 02/08/2022 11:44:08 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: matthew fuller
"Were the crimes (attempted murder, animal cruelty and the strangulation) committed on the Air Force Base, or in the state of New Mexico? Just wondering whether it was really the USAF, or the State of NM."

It doesn't really matter. UCMJ jurisdiction is based on a person's status as a member of the armed services, not where an offense was committed. That said, his offenses were committed on the installation as I understand it.

40 posted on 02/08/2022 11:44:21 AM PST by Joe 6-pack
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