Benjamin Henry Waters To Sue BX D.A. After Spending Six Years in Pretrial Detention

[hrmjustin]

By Albert Samaha

On January 16, 2007, Benjamin Henry Waters was arrested and charged with murder. Over the next six years, the case against him would see a lying witness, a mistrial, a judge questioning a prosecutor's integrity, and, ultimately, an acquittal.

Through it all, Waters was locked up on Riker's Island, another casualty of America's pretrial detention system.

On Tuesday, Waters took the first steps toward holding the Bronx County District Attorney's Office liable, filing a summons and complaint in New York State Supreme Court, the preliminary action to a civil lawsuit.

Waters' complaint, which also lists the NYPD, the the city, and the Department of Corrections as defendants, centers on how BX D.A. Robert Johnson's office handled its main witness, Ronald Baker.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/08/benjamin_henry_waters_six_years_pretrial_detention_bronx.php

[gopiscrap]

1. This is insane

as soon as he was acquitted he should have been freed.

[hrmjustin]

2. The DA should spend 6 years in jail.

[gopiscrap]

3. Not a bad thought

[hrmjustin]

4. I guess they never heard of a speedy trial. This should be illegal.

I thought it was.

[gopiscrap]

5. Yeah it's amazing how the fucking state

can bend the rules when it suits them.

[hrmjustin]

6. It reminds me of Gitmo.