Duke Players Seek Money, Reforms

[bluestateguy]

Source: AP

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Attorneys for the three players falsely accused in the Duke University lacrosse rape case are seeking a settlement of about $30 million and several changes to the state's legal process, a person close to the case said early Friday.

If the terms aren't met, the players' attorneys will file a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Durham early next month, said the source, who requested anonymity because not all of the details of the proposed settlement had been worked out.

During a discussion Wednesday with Durham officials, players' attorneys Brendan Sullivan and Barry Scheck, stressed that the money they are seeking - about $10 million each for David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann over five years - must be accompanied by the legal reforms, the source said.

On Thursday, City Attorney Henry Blinder and City Manager Patrick Baker briefed elected officials on the settlement discussions, according to The Herald-Sun of Durham, which first reported on the settlement demands. The city has a $5 million liability insurance policy with a $500,000 deductible, the paper reported.

cut

Read more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070907/D8RGHIK80.html

---

I'm glad to see that they are demanding changes to the justice system and not just money for themselves.

[ewoden]

1. Pathetic, Hey if they just didn't hire hookers and strippers

none of this would have happened. -sarcasm- but hey that's pretty much the issue with store searches and ID checks as well.

[Kagemusha]

2. Oh, I see, hiring strippers makes withholding exculpatory DNA evidence okay.

I never knew that before.

[ewoden]

3. The -sarcasm- escaped you?

Earlier posts today and yesterday have stated that being arrested on trumped-up charges was justified because a persion failed to agree to have his shopping bag checked. If only he let somebody see a receipt he wouldn't have been arrested for not having ID.

Sarcastically, (which my previous post was labeled) the same litmus can be applied in this case. The old "lie down with dogs, get up with fleas".

[Kagemusha]

8. Actually I seem to have misread somehow so my apologies.

I've had my impression corrected. Thank you.

[ewoden]

10. Hey no Problem!! have a good day

[mbperrin]

4. Gosh, OJ's lawyer and Ollie North's lawyer! Wow, good

thing they are not after money, now they are going after the real killers. Right? What damages are these asses going to sue for? One of them works at Goldman Sachs, for example, and I doubt any of them were in for big money contracts in the pro lacrosse leagues. Oh, yeah, did that one of them ever complete his probation for assaulting a stranger in the big city?

[Mike Daniels]

5. Why shouldn't they go after the money?

I guess you're still one of the ones who thinks no harm was done as a result of this whole FUBAR'ed investigation.

[mbperrin]

6. What measurable economic harm was done?

Put the dollars on it and quantify, please. That is what is needed to justify damages in a civil action. Nothing new about that.

[ewoden]

7. Lost economic benefit from

Playing in the Major Lacrosse League. What's that worth, a few grand a year?

[midlife_mo_Jo]

12. So, if she had really been raped

What economic benefits would she have lost?

A few more johns?

Surely, she wouldn't have deserved much. (sarcasm)

Think about what you are asking!

[mbperrin]

14. Now you are confusing criminal and civil law.

Civil suits require economic harm for economic damages to be awarded. Nothing controversial about it, that's the law. Now these guys have already collected millions from Duke, and now they're back with a greenmail proposal for others. How do you think wealthy folks like this stay so? They turn every problem into money.

$30 million is a pretty good stack of money and would have to be in order to talk down to some other figure. Now if I were the folks they were threatening, I'd just tell them to go right ahead and file the suit, since nothing has been done except an attempt to get money for nothing so far. So please let us not talk about justice; are you trying to say that if they are offered $30 million cash and no reforms, they will refuse it?

OK.

[bluestateguy]

9. Perhaps you can look for the "real rapist"

Just because one of them has a job at Bear Stearns (not Goldman Sachs) does not mean that their reputation wasn't dragged through the mud, possibly doing damage to their career prospects in the future.

Lord knows if people like you are in a position to hire, it sounds like you would not consider these young men at all because of this whole episode.

Furthermore, there is the principle of punitive damages, separate from financial compensation for defamation of character. Punitive damages inflict a sanction upon the party that willfully defamed someone's character, sending a message that such behavior is unprofessional and illegal.

Furthermore, the article says that they are demanding changes in Durham's justice system, such that this never happens again, especially to someone who might not have the money and connections that these men have.

[mbperrin]

15. Actually, I wouldn't hire them because they were drunken minors

hiring strippers when they had a public responsibility to the institution they represent.

They'll turn down the money if they're offered $30 million, but no reforms, right?

OK.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

16. What?

"Actually, I wouldn't hire them because they were drunken minors"

Wow. Judgmental, huh? College campuses are full of drunken minors and kids having indiscriminate sex. So they hired a stripper. Yeah, that's a bad choice, but should that follow them the rest of their lives?

[question everything]

11. Also read about a new book

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1755089

[MaraJade]

13. Reforms my @$$!

What reforms? Maybe reform the system so that women who complain of rape will not be believed if they are in the so-called "adult services profession?"

On the other hand, maybe that's not such a bad idea. Some attacks and beatings may convince these "ladies" to find better careers.
After all, it will be no use going to the police--any claim of abuse won't be believed.

$$$$ is all the lawsuit is REALLY about. Period. If they win their suit, they will be fixed for life at taxpayer expense. I guess one can buy a lot of whores with $30 million.

This whole case simply disgusts me! Every single person involved, from the rabid DA to the druggy and mentally disturbed stripper (of course, "druggy," "mentally disturbed," and "stripper" are not mutually exclusive) to the dumb-ass oversexed jocks who hired her are one and all loathsome people.

Just because the DA was deranged in no way whatsoever excuses these boys' (YES--BOYS--not men; real men don't use prostitutes and
strippers)stupid actions. These boys should have known that when they called the escort service they were going to get lying, disfunctional and mentally defective women who were delusional drama queens. What bothers me is that due to the antics of this crazy woman, other women who may be attacked in frat houses or at other kinds of campus parties will never be believed. I am already warning my college bound daughter--avoid parties like the plague or you may be a victim and left without recourse to help.

What disturbs and disgusts me most is that these boys are now being hailed as heroes and set up as examples of behavior for other youths whose brain is somewhere below the belt. I guess the pimps and madams will be happy. Business will be good as the number of whores called to perform at frat parties will increase dramatically now. Sickening. Mothers--warn your daughters before it is too late.