Ever Wonder Why Your City Cannot Afford New Textbooks? or New Roads? Or Just to Afford Pot Holes?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I feel bad for the guy, I really really do. However $18.5 million is a bit much..... Maybe $50,000/yr for the rest of his life? which if you do that by 40 years, would be $2 million... but $18.5 million dollars? Cmon now.....

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/21/new.york.exoneration.judgment/index.html?hpt=C1

New York (CNN) -- A man who spent nearly 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit was awarded $18.5 million by a federal jury.

Alan Newton, 49, was cleared by DNA evidence and released in 2006 from prison, where he was serving time for the rape and assault of a woman at a Bronx convenience store in 1984.

Newton started petitioning New York courts in 1994 to test the evidence for his DNA, but it took about 11 years and four formal filings and requests before authorities were able to find the rape kit, Newton's attorney, John Schutty, told CNN Thursday.

Newton, who received a 40-year-sentence in 1985, told CNN affiliate NY1 that he feels vindicated by Tuesday's decision.

"This says from a jury of my peers that we felt the system was wrong and we want to compensate you and we're also sending a message to the city," Newton said Wednesday.

"If you have DNA, you have the magic ability to prove right and wrong," Schutty said.

New York City's Law Department said it was "disappointed" in the Manhattan verdict and plans an appeal.

The Innocent Project took on Newton's case. Its website says Newton had an alibi and the actual perpetrator has not been apprehended.

The jury ruled that the city had violated his constitutional rights, and found two police officers liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress for failing to produce Newton's evidence when requested, the New York Times reported.

Newton, who said he intends to enroll in law school, said some relaxation is ahead first.

"I'm going somewhere hot and just taking time relaxing and letting it sink in for a little while," Newton told NY1.

[Used to be broken 147]

I feel bad for the guy, I really really do. However $18.5 million is a bit much..... Maybe $50,000/yr for the rest of his life? which if you do that by 40 years, would be $2 million... but $18.5 million dollars? Cmon now.....

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/21/new.york.exoneration.judgment/index.html?hpt=C1

New York (CNN) -- A man who spent nearly 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit was awarded $18.5 million by a federal jury.

Newton started petitioning New York courts in 1994 to test the evidence for his DNA, but it took about 11 years and four formal filings and requests before authorities were able to find the rape kit, Newton's attorney, John Schutty, told CNN Thursday.

There is some real compassion for you !

"The jury ruled that the city had violated his constitutional rights, and found two police officers liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress for failing to produce Newton's evidence when requested, the New York Times reported."

This guy was 27 when they threw him in the slammer for a crime he didn't commit, his formative years, in effect his youth.

They took 11 years to round up the DNA kit and test it while he sat and rotted for 11 years. What would it have cost them to hire a $7 an hour intern to spend a few weeks to dig it out of storage?

The award is Punitive .

How about we give you 100k to go sit in a jail with violent offenders for two years? I think you might have a markedly different perspective. He lost 22 years of freedom, can't put a price on that but 18 million is not enough.

This clearly demonstrates the problem we have with these rape kits in this country. Why the heck are they being stored and not immediately tested, there is millions of these things lying around untested.

It is more about preventing crime to get them tested than this type of thing but there is no excuse for the backlog and storage of this type of evidence in the manner its being handled.

Edited October 22, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I feel bad for the guy, I really really do. However $18.5 million is a bit much..... Maybe $50,000/yr for the rest of his life? which if you do that by 40 years, would be $2 million... but $18.5 million dollars? Cmon now.....

-------------

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/21/new.york.exoneration.judgment/index.html?hpt=C1

New York (CNN) -- A man who spent nearly 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit was awarded $18.5 million by a federal jury.

Alan Newton, 49, was cleared by DNA evidence and released in 2006 from prison, where he was serving time for the rape and assault of a woman at a Bronx convenience store in 1984.

Newton started petitioning New York courts in 1994 to test the evidence for his DNA, but it took about 11 years and four formal filings and requests before authorities were able to find the rape kit, Newton's attorney, John Schutty, told CNN Thursday.

Newton, who received a 40-year-sentence in 1985, told CNN affiliate NY1 that he feels vindicated by Tuesday's decision.

"This says from a jury of my peers that we felt the system was wrong and we want to compensate you and we're also sending a message to the city," Newton said Wednesday.

"If you have DNA, you have the magic ability to prove right and wrong," Schutty said.

New York City's Law Department said it was "disappointed" in the Manhattan verdict and plans an appeal.

The Innocent Project took on Newton's case. Its website says Newton had an alibi and the actual perpetrator has not been apprehended.

The jury ruled that the city had violated his constitutional rights, and found two police officers liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress for failing to produce Newton's evidence when requested, the New York Times reported.

Newton, who said he intends to enroll in law school, said some relaxation is ahead first.

"I'm going somewhere hot and just taking time relaxing and letting it sink in for a little while," Newton told NY1.

He wasn't paid enough IMO. It should have been 18.5 billion. Do that many years in the joint for a crime you didn't commit and to add salt to the wound, it took those pr##ks eleven years to find that rape test kit.

How could I say that I find your opinion on this past the stage of revolting and not get in trouble for flaming you ?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

He wasn't paid enough IMO. It should have been 18.5 billion. Do that many years in the joint for a crime you didn't commit and to add salt to the wound, it took those pr##ks eleven years to find that rape test kit.

How could I say that I find your opinion on this past the stage of revolting and not get in trouble for flaming you ?

revolting? How about you pay it straight out of your pocket then.

You forget, when a municipality gets sued, when a state gets sued, that comes out of taxpayer coffers.... If you want the victims to get more, then get it from the individuals responsible, don't get it from your next door neighbor.

[Used to be broken 147]

revolting? How about you pay it straight out of your pocket then.

You forget, when a municipality gets sued, when a state gets sued, that comes out of taxpayer coffers.... If you want the victims to get more, then get it from the individuals responsible, don't get it from your next door neighbor.

Yeah, doesn't work that way. The taxpayers elect the DA. Ergo .. they pay his salary and the damages to a criminal he elects to prosecute wrongly when they have an alibi. Hope they have good insurance and expect rates to go up.

If you want a quick path to more corruption and abuse of power, take away consequences and accountability.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

BTW .. You didn't answer would you be satisfied with 100k to spend two years in jail with dangerous criminals? if you think its such an easy way to make money give it a try.

Edited October 23, 2010 by brokenfamily

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

revolting? How about you pay it straight out of your pocket then.

You forget, when a municipality gets sued, when a state gets sued, that comes out of taxpayer coffers.... If you want the victims to get more, then get it from the individuals responsible, don't get it from your next door neighbor.

Who gives two sh*ts who pays ? Better yet you do 22 years in the joint on a bogus charge, and every time you get cornholed by Bubba you ask yourself if $50,000 a year is worth it.

[Used to be broken 147]

Who gives two sh*ts who pays ? Better yet you do 22 years in the joint on a bogus charge, and every time you get cornholed by Bubba you ask yourself if $50,000 a year is worth it.