$101 million in Taxpayer Money

$101 million in Taxpayer Money

[This letter was published in the Boston Herald on July 31, 2007]

The experts and Prof. Bloom miss the essential point of the $101 million
dollar award. (Dave Wedge and Mike Underwood, "Staggering judgment clear warning
to law enforcement," Boston Herald, July 27, 2007)
The $101 million award is taxpayer money. The criminal agents, police
and other officials who were negligent did not pay for attorneys fees either.
This judgment will not prevent further misadventures and permits police
and the FBI to cover up more abuses. There is no incentive to stop such
malfeasance
because there is no individual liability.
There was no penalty to Paul Rico or any supervising agents over 30 years.
This is not "a warning that no one is above the law." The "loud and clear
message" is that it costs nothing to abuse police powers. The taxpayer will pay
for your abuses.

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Staggering judgment clear warning to law enforcement
Boston Herald
By Dave Wedge and Mike Underwood/ Analysis
Friday, July 27, 2007 - Updated: 07:10 AM EST

Stinging criticism of the FBI and the staggering sum awarded to four men wrongly
jailed for murder should flash a warning that no one is above the law, experts
believe.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner yesterday awarded $101.7 million after the
men were jailed for a 1965 murder they did not commit, spending three decades
behind bars because the FBI withheld crucial evidence of their innocence.
“I have concluded that the plaintiffs’ accusations that the United States
government violated the law are proved,” Gertner seethed as she fired a
broadside at the feds.
Peter Limone, 73, and Joseph Salvati, 75, and the families of the two other
men who died in prison had sued the federal government for malicious
prosecution.
They argued that Boston FBI agents H. Paul Rico and Dennis Condon knew mob
hit man Joseph “The Animal” Barboza lied when he named the men as killers in the
1965 death of Edward “Teddy” Deegan.
They said Barboza was protecting a fellow FBI informant, Vincent ‘Jimmy‘
Flemmi, who was involved.
The government’s argument that federal authorities could not be held
responsible for a state prosecution was branded “absurd” by Gertner.
“While Salvati and Limone languished in jail for thirty-odd years and Greco
and Tameleo died in prison, Barboza and his FBI handlers flourished,” the judge
blasted.
Experts say the settlement and Gertner’s fierce criticism should have a
ripple effect on the way law enforcement conducts business in future.
“The judgment has definitely sent a message and the message is law
enforcement needs to play the game fairly and if they don’t play it fairly
there’s going to be ramifications,” said Boston College law Professor Robert
Bloom.
“The fact that it’s $100 million, will be a loud and clear message.”
[...]