FBI "framed" men; lied for almost 40 years.

[F4GIB]

Federal JUDGE awards men $101,700,000. for lost lives.

"In a decision that was as dramatic as it was stern, US District Judge Nancy Gertner said from the bench that the FBI had deliberately withheld evidence that [four men] were innocent, and that the bureau helped cover up the injustice for decades as the men grew old behind bars and [two] died."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...red_to_pay_1017m_in_false_murder_convictions/

But all the involved agents went home safely after their shift. They even got promoted.

P. S. Special Agent Lon Horiuchi was not involved this time.

 

[coltrane679]

Impugning the integrity of law enforcement?

Shame on you--they are always our friends and protectors!

 

[Autolycus]

I dont think that is enough money for them. 40 years of their lives gone.

 

[exar]

I dont think that is enough money for them. 40 years of their lives gone.

There is no compensation for 40 lost years.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Money can't buy back 41 years of your life.

 

[damien]

Money can't buy back 41 years of your life.

Good argument to reduce the award to $0?

 

[ArmedBear]

I am speechless. I can't think of what to say.

This stuff DOES happen. I knew that before. But still...

Limiting government power is the only answer. Power corrupts.

I hope those who lied are rotting in hell or somesuch.

 

[The-Fly]

the FBI , aka the Fascist Bureau of Instigation. They have a long and storied history of abusing people's rights, screwing up legitimate investigations, and generally being a bunch of morons.

Ever wonder why a lot of local law enforcement dislikes the federales ?

 

[pcosmar]

sarc/ Well if your not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.../Sarc/
Don't ya just love that Patriot Act?

 

[ArmedBear]

Patriot Act or not, there are those working in government who will send innocent men up the river for a pay increase. Eliminate the Patriot Act, and it will still happen.

EVERY time we want to increase government power, we should remember this. IS IT WORTH IT?

 

[Brian Williams]

Remember "No General Bashing"
Damien, It is also an argument for much more than was awarded.

The-Fly, careful, your statement about the FBI is treading thinly.

 

[hrgrisso]

Balancing Act

While I have a deep and abiding respect for law enforcement in general, this does no one in law enforcment any favors. I do wonder at law enforcment assoc. general silence on issues like this... Not from a policy perspective, but more from an organizational ethics or something like that.

I also wondered at the comment in the article about how two of the members WERE involved in the mafia? Sorry just a touch confused since they never seemed to address the people's relationship to organized crime.

I know they were exonerated for the murder but what about the rest of their maybe dealings?

And people wonder why I'm nervous about the patriot act, hillarycare and all the other government programs for your benefit.

I hope that the honest and hard working LEO's are able to keep morale after garbage like this happens.

 

[Master Blaster]

Well the misconduct of the Hoover FBI is shocking and heads should roll.
But this was 1963-65 time frame when Robert F Kennedy was the attorney general and on a bender to GET the mob and we know who was in charge of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover.
Deese Guys what took the bum rap, were mobsters, think of the murder(s) they each comitted and weren't caught for, the arms they broke, and the people they used extorted and destroyed, while they were out on the street as made men, and one was even a consigliere.

They were off the street for 33 years...

Their families deserve the money, much more than they do.

Hoover and RFK are dead.

 

[hrgrisso]

Master Blaster

I do have a slight issue with this concept:

Your guilty of some stuff we can't prove, so we'll lie about another murder we can't prove but we'll fake it.

I had an uncle who had a prosecutor try this in Seattle. It absolutely ruined him. He didn't contest the shooting, claimed self defense. The prosecutor tried so "prove" he was a bad enough guy to do it, but couldn't, so she dragged it out over the course of several years. In the end, he was financially ruined, emotionally broken. He never even got a sorry.

We'll knowingly twist the facts to get the verdict we want, And in the end it's ok because your off the streets.

Sorry but that's not how it's supposed to work. Guilty when proven, not before. Your not guilty unless it's proven in court.

 

[fal 4 me]

Deese Guys what took the bum rap, were mobsters, think of the murder(s) they each comitted and weren't caught for, the arms they broke, and the people they used extorted and destroyed, while they were out on the street as made men, and one was even a consigliere.

Can't you use a similar arguement to justify anyone wrongfully put in prison. Think of all the little everyday things that are technically illegal. There are so many laws on the books these days that a careful look at anyone's life will reveal many "crimes." Better lock up everyone just to be safe.

One law that would be worth putting in the books would be mandatory life imprisonment for anyone who knowling participates in the conviction of an innocent person.

 

[Noxx]

Ever wonder why a lot of local law enforcement dislikes the federales

Because the Fed's get all the good toys from the evidence lockers before they do?

 

[F4GIB]

The prosecutor tried so "prove" he was a bad enough guy to do it, but couldn't, so she dragged it out over the course of several years. In the end, he was financially ruined, emotionally broken.

Prosecutors do this without fear.

 

[Pilgrim]

Mueller characterized the case as a debacle, and added: "I would suggest to you that that is isolated. Day in and day out over the years, FBI agents have been undertaking investigations and done them lawfully."

He has data to back this up?

Pilgrim

 

[scubie02]

we basically had most of the officers at the local state troopers barracks end up going to jail a number of years ago because it came out that they had been falsifying evidence for years and years. Cost the taxpayer a gazillion dollars since EVERY person they had put away for all those years basically had the right to be retried. So there you have who knows how many innocent people who went to jail, then who knows how many GUILTY ones who might have gotten off when they got a retrial and 15 year old or whatever evidence no longer existed. Undermines your whole confidence.

On the other hand, I have met any number of LEO's who were amazingly polite and professional in situations with absolute idiots--don't know how they do it...

 

[ilbob]

The judge in the case accused the FBI of all kinds of crimes. Wonder how many indictments there will be?

My guess is zero.

This is just another reason why rat fink testimony should never be allowed in court. It is testimony that is bought and paid for and can never be relied on to be truthful.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you have any doubts about the G-Men, go look at your Constitution and read the section on federal law enforcement and the vital role of the FBI.

 

[ilbob]

we basically had most of the officers at the local state troopers barracks end up going to jail a number of years ago because it came out that they had been falsifying evidence for years and years. Cost the taxpayer a gazillion dollars since EVERY person they had put away for all those years basically had the right to be retried. So there you have who knows how many innocent people who went to jail, then who knows how many GUILTY ones who might have gotten off when they got a retrial and 15 year old or whatever evidence no longer existed. Undermines your whole confidence.

There are a lot of cases where crime lab technicians fake evidence. There have been a few cases where technicians have gone to jail over it.

The FBI crime lab admitted to faking evidence not that long ago. I think it was an Illinois crime lab that admitted thousands of cases were at risk due to potentially faked evidence.

There was a whole bunch of people on death row in Illinois that the governor reduced their sentences to life because he claimed the convictions were so tainted. This was after some cops in Lake County turned out to have fabricated evidence to convict a man they knew was innocent and get him sent to death row.

When you allow government enforcers to exist in an environment without any effective supervision and little or no consequences for misconduct, this is the kind of thing that happens.

What is amazing is that it is not more common. Perhaps it is a lot more common than we want to believe but it does not come to public knowledge.

 

[Geno]

Power corrupts,
and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.​

.

 

[Crunker1337]

Justice doesn't mean the criminal is caught. It just means someone has to take the blame.

 

[DKSuddeth]

It's sad to think that they may never see a dime of that money