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Date Posted: 20:10:14 10/05/00 Thu
Author: Barbo
Subject: Taken from "The Outrage" e-zine

"The infamous Attica prison riots happened back in 1971.
Forty-three people died and many more were injured.
It now appears that many of the felons who participated in the riots
will become multi-millionaires, at taxpayer expense.
Convicted felon Frank Smith was just awarded four million dollars for
the injuries and threats he suffered at the hands of the troopers and
guards who stormed the prison to regain control of it from the inmates.
At first glance, Smith deserves sympathy. He was subjected to cruel
and barbarous treatment. Those who subjected him to this treatment
should clearly be punished. But let's take a closer look. Smith was
serving time for armed robbery when the riots took place. More to
the point, Smith was no innocent bystander -- not only was he a
participant, he actually helped to lead the riots. In fact, he was
indicted for murder and kidnapping, although the charges were later
dismissed.
Smith is not being held liable for any of the deaths or injuries
which took place as a result of the riot. And, of course, Smith
will not pay a penny to any of the victims of the crime which first
landed him in prison. But the taxpayers of the State of New York
are being held liable for not "handling" the riot correctly.
The award of four million dollars is to compensate Smith for the
four days of suffering he endured while authorities attempted to
retake the prison. While Smith's suffering was severe, the award is
equal to a million dollars a day. To put that amount in perspective,
the average American family would have to work for 133 years to
earn the same amount of money.
Smith's award is just the beginning. 1,280 other inmates are seeking
almost three billion dollars in damages.
Perhaps Smith's case is typical of modern American justice. First,
he robbed a bank. Then, in prison, he led a revolt which ended with
many deaths and injuries. Now, he will walk away a free and wealthy
man, while taxpayers who have worked all their lives to make an
honest living will barely get by in their retirement years."
This articles raises a valid question. Sinse when are tax payers
liable for criminal acts perpetrated by law enforcement officers or
prison guards? Let's say I'm a state employee and I shoot someone.
Should you and your nieghbors have to pay for it out of your pockets,
simply because I happen to work for the government?

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