Rape victim awarded 1 BILLION dollars

Mook

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Of course, she'll never see that and the judge may as well have said a zillion dollars. Still tho, crazy outcome.

May 23, 2018
Hope Cheston was 14 when, outside a friend’s birthday party in October 2012 in Jonesboro, Ga., an armed security guard at an apartment complex raped her on a picnic table.

For years, she thought she’d be forgotten like countless other sexual assault victims.

But on Tuesday, jurors in Clayton County, Ga., awarded her $1 billion in compensatory damages in a civil lawsuit against Crime Prevention Agency Inc., the security company that employed her rapist. Her lawyers believe it is, by far, the largest jury verdict ever awarded in the United States in a sexual assault case.

“My verdict basically shows if you stick with it and do what you need to do to get your justice, there’ll be a brighter end,” Ms. Cheston, now 20, said in an interview on Wednesday.

To be sure, Ms. Cheston — who gave The Times permission to use her name — almost certainly won’t end up a billionaire. The security company isn’t worth a billion dollars, and the amount of such a verdict could still be reduced by the judge.

The security guard who attacked her, Brandon Lamar Zachary, 28, began serving a 20-year prison sentence for statutory rape in 2016.

The civil lawsuit, filed by Ms. Cheston’s mother in 2015, accused the security company of negligence in their training and performance and of failing to keep a 14-year-old girl safe. A message for the chief executive of Crime Prevention Agency was not responded to on Wednesday.

The judge in the civil suit had already ruled the company was liable for negligence, and the jurors were brought in to determine the amount of the damages. They appeared to be touched by Ms. Cheston’s story; after the verdict was read, several of them came over to hug her, she said.

Her therapist instructed her not to discuss the events of the day she was raped, she said. But she decided to speak publicly about her attack now because, while she’s not “over it,” she now feels she’s “in a comfortable spot,” and hopes her story can bring comfort or guidance to other survivors.

Ms. Cheston’s whole personality changed after the attack, she said. She was “very shut off,” losing friends and straining her relationship with her mother. She stayed inside more. She still distrusts authority figures, especially male ones, and wouldn’t feel comfortable going to the police in an emergency.

“Knowing that just one encounter can change your life forever is terrifying,” she said.

She’s now a sophomore at Fort Valley State University, majoring in social work, and volunteers helping the homeless during the summer, she said. She intends to continue working toward getting her degree.

The Times could not immediately confirm whether it was the largest verdict in United States history, but three lawyers who weren’t involved in the case said they believed it to be true. Most cases are settled for far less, said Brad Edwards, a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who specializes in victims of sexual abuse.

When coming up with a number, jurors consider factors like physical damage and mental anguish — concepts that are difficult to quantify, he said.

“If rape cases got tried and jurors understood the crippling effect that those types of events have on victims, you would see hundred-million-dollar verdicts rather frequently,” he said.

While Ms. Cheston’s case could be celebrated as a victory for sexual assault victims, there remains an enormous amount of obstacles for survivors in obtaining justice.
 

Flyn

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Eventual settlement will be more like...

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MrDragster1970

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AGAIN, why in the hell are the stock holders, employees etc of the company being harmed because a POS criminal hurt someone!!!!
The actual criminal is 100% responsible!!!!
Just because I own stock in a bunch of companies doesn't mean I should have my investment disappear over night because some POS criminal did something beyond anyone's control!!!!!!!!
You are responsible for your own actions, that includes cover ups, schemes, obstruction of justice etc etc.
The people committing crimes should pay, being a victim is not your lottery ticket to shake down an entity that has money!!!
There is a huge difference between an industrial accident & a crime!!!

The guy absolutely should be hung, and every thing he owns is now the victims.
If he has kids, say good bye to your inheritance, thank your POS criminal father!!!!


.
 

guspech750

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AGAIN, why in the hell are the stock holders, employees etc of the company being harmed because a POS criminal hurt someone!!!!
The actual criminal is 100% responsible!!!!
Just because I own stock in a bunch of companies doesn't mean I should have my investment disappear over night because some POS criminal did something beyond anyone's control!!!!!!!!
You are responsible for your own actions, that includes cover ups, schemes, obstruction of justice etc etc.
The people committing crimes should pay, being a victim is not your lottery ticket to shake down an entity that has money!!!
There is a huge difference between an industrial accident & a crime!!!

The guy absolutely should be hung, and every thing he owns is now the victims.
If he has kids, say good bye to your inheritance, thank your POS criminal father!!!!


.



Maybe the perp was on the clock at the time of the rape?
 

MrDragster1970

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Maybe the perp was on the clock at the time of the rape?

What difference does it make??
You are responsible for your own damn actions.
If you are the burger flipper at Mickey D's and stab the fries guy to death.
How in the hell is the fries guy mother entitled to 10 million dollars from the stockholders!!!!!!!!

That's the problem with all these POS liberal leech entitlement mentality ghetto lottery seekers.
Anything that doesn't go your way, you demand money.
GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE.

What the hell ever happened to earn what you get, keep what you earn,
and take care of your own damn family without demanding or begging for handouts!!!!!


.
 

guspech750

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What difference does it make??
You are responsible for your own damn actions.
If you are the burger flipper at Mickey D's and stab the fries guy to death.
How in the hell is the fries guy mother entitled to 10 million dollars from the stockholders!!!!!!!!

That's the problem with all these POS liberal leech entitlement mentality ghetto lottery seekers.
Anything that doesn't go your way, you demand money.
GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE.

What the hell ever happened to earn what you get, keep what you earn,
and take care of your own damn family without demanding or begging for handouts!!!!!


.



Oh I’m not arguing as I agree with you. I myself do not understand how a company can be responsible for someone’s actions such as rape or murder.
I would assume everyone’s employee handbooks never mention “thou shall not murder or rape while on the clock, conduct such personal business before or after work hours”LOLzzz
 

Dan00Hawk

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Woman A gets raped by someone famous or affiliated with a large company and wins millions of dollars through a civil trial.

Woman B gets raped by a family member/friend/random criminal and essentially gets nothing.

It definitely sets the stage for "opportunistic" individuals to attempt to manipulate the system to get a payday, which makes it all the more tragic for women who have suffered the horror of being raped and causes people to be cynical about the circumstances when large sums of money are at stake.

Case in point: http://www.thechicagogarage.com/for...refutes-womans-claim-rape-police-officer.html
 

Atomicles

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Did the company hire him knowing about some criminal past he had? If they knew there was a chance of him doing this sort of thing, I'd say they're liable. I don't know the details of the case though, so that might not be the case. If he's just an employee and the company had no idea he would do anything besides his job, I agree with MrDragster1970.
 

Thirdgen89GTA

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I agree that a Billion dollars is way excessive.

This is assuming that prior to the rape the perp had no previous history of poor behavior or previous convictions.

I do agree that Rape victims are completely entitled to restitution, and that the perpetrators should be given the death penalty. Rape to me is unconscionable, and inexcusable.
 
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