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Rape victim awarded $1 billion in historic jury verdict
nypost ^ | 05/25/2018 | Natalie O'Neill

Posted on 05/25/2018 9:43:26 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27

A Georgia rape victim was awarded $1 billion in what’s believed to be the largest jury verdict ever handed down in an American assault case, according to reports Friday.

“It’s one of the biggest victories for women in the United States,” Chris Stewart, a lawyer for victim Hope Cheston, said at a press conference.

“They said a little black girl in Clayton County who was raped is worth $1 billion. That was a big win for us,” he said, according to the local station 11alive.com.

Cheston was 14 years old and visiting a friend October 2012 when she was attacked by apartment security guard Brandon Lamar Zachary in an Atlanta suburb, according to court documents cited by the station.

A civil jury ruled Tuesday that the security company that hired the guard, Crime Prevention Agency, must fork over the massive payout because it failed to properly monitor their violent worker, who had a history of bad behavior, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Sexual assault is sexual assault. It’s not right, and it needs to be punished,” Cheston, 20, said after the verdict, according to USA Today.

It’s “life-changing” to know the jury understands her pain, she said.

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: billion; georgia; jury; rape; verdict
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To: TexasGator
Mea Culpa, I split that infinitive.
61 posted on 05/25/2018 10:59:55 AM PDT by Aevery_Freeman (Idiocracy is Prophecy!)
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To: rightwingcrazy
I have long felt that “punitive damages” should be outlawed, for the same reason that ex post facto laws are outlawed.

To the point that they often times go beyond being punitive and end up representing absurd or destructive criminal styled sadism. Punitive damage awards should either be outlawed outright or at least severely restricted as often times the award represents vengeance rather than justice.

And seriously even consider cutting out the lawyers sharing in the punitive award portion of the award and limit what they receive to actual damage awards which would allow the punitive damage award to truly benefit the victim and not line the pockets of the greedy out of control lawyers.

62 posted on 05/25/2018 11:02:04 AM PDT by Ron H.
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Just checked, Brandon Lamar Zachary, is Black as well. So this is more Black on Black crime. You have to wonder just why “security companies” hire Black males knowing their propensity for violence against their own women?


63 posted on 05/25/2018 11:02:59 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: centurion316
The judgment will be reduced by orders of magnitude, but this is an example of out of control civil suits. Everyone thinks that this is all free money and “someone else” will pay it. The “someone else” is us in the form of liability insurance premiums. Costs will be passed on to customers or the public who must purchase liability coverage. The result of this will probably be the demise of this security company and since their liabilities will probably will exceed their assets, no one will get any money.

Well stated.

64 posted on 05/25/2018 11:04:28 AM PDT by Ron H.
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To: dp0622
I was responding to #2 where the concept "hate" was initially --- and rather pointlessly--- introduced into the discussion.
65 posted on 05/25/2018 11:05:21 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (I learn something new every day.)
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To: Trillian

I don’t think that’s right. See below:

http://www.crimepreventionsecurity.com

Looks to me as though they’re still in business. But these kinds of “awards” just prove that our justice system is run by a bunch of ninnys and incompetent ambulance chasers.


66 posted on 05/25/2018 11:07:20 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: Socon-Econ
.....The point is that virtue signaling juries that award damages to make an emotional or political point, rather than recompense actual loss, are a danger to justice.

Precisely. It ends up being about vengeance and retribution rather than about justice.

67 posted on 05/25/2018 11:13:39 AM PDT by Ron H.
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To: caww

Works for me. It is also a life shattering event for the victim....one that is very difficult to recover from


68 posted on 05/25/2018 11:14:03 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Nifster

All sexual assaults are difficult to recover from.....add violence and torture and it’s grueling recovery...but you can recover.


69 posted on 05/25/2018 11:16:20 AM PDT by caww
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To: ChicagoConservative27

“They said a little black girl in Clayton County who was raped is worth $1 billion....

:::
No, fool, you can’t put a price on a human. And what does her color have to do with it.

Prayers for this girl. I am sure her life has been hell.


70 posted on 05/25/2018 11:23:08 AM PDT by Bigg Red (The USA news industry, the MSM-13, takes a machete to the truth. {h/t TigersEye})
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To: ChicagoConservative27

“A civil jury ruled Tuesday that the security company that hired the guard, Crime Prevention Agency, must fork over the massive payout...”

I somehow doubt a local security guard company is going to be “forking over” a billion dollars. This is a good example of why limited liability companies were invented.


71 posted on 05/25/2018 11:25:13 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Socon-Econ

“If I could actually collect on an award like that, I would volunteer to be raped.”

No kidding. I can get over some traumatic experiences. Never having to work again for the rest of my life would probably help in my recuperation.


72 posted on 05/25/2018 11:27:56 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Mrs. Don-o

It’s domination, a power thing.

“Rape is hate.”


73 posted on 05/25/2018 11:28:29 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: vette6387

“You have to wonder just why “security companies” hire Black males knowing their propensity for violence against their own women?”

Being a security guard is not exactly a highly in demand, well paying occupation that skilled workers are eager to break into.


74 posted on 05/25/2018 11:31:21 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: proud American in Canada

The assault was a horrible thing, but the award speaks volumes about jury incompetence. $1 Billion would not stand up to any sort of judicial review.

Online sources state that Crime Prevention Agency, Inc., a Georgia for-profit corporation, has been dissolved. Whatever insurance there was will likely be it. The girl’s lawyer will take most of it.

The law does not provide for this, but justice would be served by forcing whoever sent a violent criminal to prey upon children to serve the same sentence as the rapist, preferably in the same cell.


75 posted on 05/25/2018 11:39:42 AM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: Boogieman

“Being a security guard is not exactly a highly in demand, well paying occupation that skilled workers are eager to break into.”

Yeah, from what I see, it’s a “vocation” that failed Black athletes go into when they don’t make the cut in the NFL,NBA, or MLB! “Security Guards” are mostly minorities here in CA.


76 posted on 05/25/2018 11:44:03 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: I want the USA back
I don’t think the jury had any idea of what a billion is. Just a big amount of money.

I bet they do know what a Brazilian is, though...

77 posted on 05/25/2018 11:58:19 AM PDT by null and void (Urban "food deserts," are caused by "climate change" in urban customers' attitudes (H/T niteowl77))
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To: Bigg Red
No, fool, you can’t put a price on a human. And what does her color have to do with it.

Well, DUH! You can only put a price on a human if they're black!

nully, whose ancestors gave the English language the word "slave" because they were the preferred people to enslave, ducks and runs for cover!

78 posted on 05/25/2018 12:09:12 PM PDT by null and void (Urban "food deserts," are caused by "climate change" in urban customers' attitudes (H/T niteowl77))
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To: ChicagoConservative27

fiddy cent for a little white girl


79 posted on 05/25/2018 12:11:56 PM PDT by WorkerbeeCitizen
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To: Responsibility2nd

Check out the jury foreman’s name:

Larisha Holloway


80 posted on 05/25/2018 12:59:02 PM PDT by QBFimi (It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world... Tarfon)
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