Rape victim awarded $1 billion in historic jury verdict

nypost ^ | 05/25/2018 | Natalie O'Neill

[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.

[Aevery_Freeman]

Mea Culpa, I split that infinitive.

[Ron H.]

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.

[vette6387]

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?

[Ron H.]

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.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I was responding to #2 where the concept "hate" was initially --- and rather pointlessly--- introduced into the discussion.

[vette6387]

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.

[Ron H.]

.....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.

[Nifster]

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

[caww]

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

[Bigg Red]

“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.

[Boogieman]

“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.

[Boogieman]

“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.

[yldstrk]

It’s domination, a power thing.

“Rape is hate.”

[Boogieman]

“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.

[Chewbarkah]

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.

[vette6387]

“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.

[null and void]

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...

[null and void]

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!

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

fiddy cent for a little white girl

[QBFimi]

Check out the jury foreman’s name:

Larisha Holloway