Originally published at: George Floyd's family awarded $27m in settlement | Boing Boing
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That money needs to come directly out of the PD’s budget. It’s all public money, anyhow, but then at least they feel the sting.
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And the cop responsible for murdering him as well though the family is likely already (or will) pursuing a civil suit
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To be a little more accurate, George Floyd’s family’s lawyer awarded a minimum of $9 million, family
awarded whatever is left.
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Good.
Unfortunately (note: IANAL) my understanding is that the families in cases like this may not see that money for a decade, and then only a small part of it. It gets whittled down by appeals, fees, taxes and a thousand other things, then takes years and years to sort out actual payment.
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It’s a start.
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Awarded money such as this should come directly from the police pensions fund. Hit’m where it hurts, and hit’m hard.
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Unfortunately, municipalities tend to take on debt instead. The term “brutality bonds” and the system that enables financial institutions and investors to profit from this makes it so much worse:
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When it costs the city 100,000 per year in liability insurance per cop, maybe there will be fewer and better cops. If black lives don’t matter to these fools let’s see if money does.
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This right here.
Economically it doesn’t matter in the long run where the line item goes on the municipal budget. Make the costs too high to ignore.
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I’m sure his family would rather have George back than the money.
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If that were me, I’d use every penny of that money to make derek chauvin’s life miserable (his name doesn’t deserve to be capitalized). Huge billboards with his picture and description of his crime and how much his moral vacuity and violent racism cost the taxpayers erected all around where ever he ever lives. I would pursue every legal means at my disposal to haunt his every living day.
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Derek Chauvin is one racist murderer in a machine that creates and empowers racist murderers. I wouldn’t blame them if they decided to go after him individually but it might be more productive to go after the larger power structures that continue to take Black lives.
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This is pulling money right out of my pocket. If the award was divided up equally among all Minneapolis residents that’s $70 per person. Of course we’re also paying for the city lawyers involved in this. The destruction wrought across the city this past year adds to the bill. Then there’s the lawyers, security, and all other associated costs from the prosecution. In MN the average cost per year for incarceration is $41K. Of course these cops will get special treatment because they wouldn’t survive in the general population so there’s more there.
All this over an alleged $20. That’s a crime that shouldn’t even merit an arrest! Driving over the speed limit or the wrong way on a one way street is FAR more dangerous to society and we just write those people tickets and send them on their way.
It pisses me off that an idiot cop could incur this much financial pain on my city and state. I’ll happily pay it though. I’d even pay it a few times over if it would result in real systemic changes that eliminate the abuse perpetuated on black and brown people by the authority systems. I’m not sure that this is a zero sum game but if it is I will decrease so that others can increase.
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The idea is that the taxpayers will be more motivated to demand meaningful police reform if the taxpayers are actually forced to bear a financial cost for police misconduct.
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If I was ultimately awarded a substantial settlement in such a case I would share a portion of the monies to assist family members of other victims of such crimes i.e. tuition monies
What can one say? What happened to George Floyd was on our watch. At least this family was given some money. I for one am ashamed as a patriot, our nation SHOULD avoid violence that necessitates this sort of blood money to begin with. The people should not fear the police, but, here we are. This money doesn’t buy forgiveness if you ask me, we need real change before we can together move on in peace and security.
I’m also in Mpls and second all you’ve said here. I’m frustrated that the will to change the system is there with the City Council, but they do not seem to be going about it very effectively.
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they lost a family member. You can’t replace people.
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The size of this payment ought to be an indicator for the trend of this trial. This cop is going down.
