Blackwater being brutal to its dead employee's families to keep them quiet

[donsu]

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/53460/


Blackwater Heavies Sue Families of Slain Employees for $10 Million in Brutal Attempt to Suppress Their Story


The lawyers representing the families of four American Blackwater contractors killed in Fallujah make the case that the company's executives are suing the families to keep them quiet and to avoid any accountability.


The families of four American security contractors who were burned, beaten, dragged through the streets of Fallujah and their decapitated bodies hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River on March 31, 2004, are reaching out to the American public to help protect themselves against the very company their loved ones were serving when killed, Blackwater Security Consulting. After Blackwater lost a series of appeals all the away to the U.S. Supreme Court, Blackwater has now changed its tactics and is suing the dead men's estates for $10 million to silence the families and keep them out of court.

Following these gruesome deaths which were broadcast on worldwide television, the surviving family members looked to Blackwater for answers as to how and why their loved ones died. Blackwater not only refused to give the grieving families any information, but also callously stated that they would need to sue Blackwater to get it. Left with no alternative, in January 2005, the families filed suit against Blackwater, which is owned by the wealthy and politically-connected Erik Prince.

Blackwater quickly adapted its battlefield tactics to the courtroom. It initially hired Fred F. Fielding, who is currently counsel to the President of the United States. It then hired Joseph E. Schmitz as its in-house counsel, who was formerly the Inspector General at the Pentagon. More recently, Blackwater employed Kenneth Starr, famed prosecutor in the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal, to oppose the families. To add additional muscle, Blackwater hired Cofer Black, who was the Director of the CIA Counter- Terrorist Center.

After filing its suit against the dead men's estates, Blackwater demanded that its claim and the families' existing lawsuit be handled in a private arbitration. By suing the families in arbitration, Blackwater has attempted to move the examination of their wrongful conduct outside of the eye of the public and away from a jury. This comes at the same time when Congress is investigating Blackwater.
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neo cons do what they want. who is to stop them?

[whistle]

1. This is what the new private army of the republicans will do to U.S.

....citizens when they are brought back to establish the Totalitarian State of America (TSA).

[donsu]

2. kick

nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. This is utterly shameful! Has Keith spoken on it at all? Not sure

how TDS could make it funny, but someone needs to get this out to a wider audience.

[Dr.Phool]

4. Cut off ALL their contracts!

[donsu]

5. so who will do the cutting?

nt

[blondeatlast]

6. PRIVATE ARBITRATION?! HELL, NO! This story needs to spread

kike kudzu.

That's just shameful.

[Sadie5]

7. Just wondering

When the 4 Blackwater employees were killed did Blackwater provide life insurance to them? It's my thought that if insurance was provided then Blackwater will say that they have covered their debt to the families.

[Fredda Weinberg]

10. The employees signed a contract, binding them to arbitration

So the families don't have a legal case.

[blondeatlast]

12. Cite please? nt

[Fredda Weinberg]

14. Here ya go

But on May 11, Senior U.S. District Judge James Fox issued an order requiring the parties to take the dispute to arbitration, effectively halting the court case.

The judge agreed with Blackwater's contention that the lawsuit is barred by the employment contract that the four Fallujah victims signed - an 18-page document in which they gave up a list of rights, including the right to sue the company.

The contract says any dispute with Blackwater must be resolved by binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, a private nonprofit organization that facilitates non judicial settlement of disputes.

Under those rules, the proceedings are confidential and the arbitrators' decisions are final, subject to only limited review by the courts.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=125049&ran=114114&tref=po

Watching C-Span ain't always fun, but it's always educational.

[drm604]

15. But the families didn't sign it,

did they? How are they obligated to something they didn't sign?

[Fredda Weinberg]

17. They might win ... there is another case winding it's way up

It was recently decided (5/30/2007) for Walter Matthau's heir, who didn't want to continue obligations his father made. It's a strange case, though ... reversed on appeal, so the decision stands in that jurisdiction, but the facts made me a little queasy - really, the talent agency that represented the man in life should be able to rely on profits after his demise, but that's the family's best shot. Normally, the family would be seen as having been a third-party to the agreement, even if they didn't sign, because they directly benefited from the terms of the contract. This decision may change that, but it also may be reversed again if William Morris appeals - it hasn't yet reached state supreme court.

[Fredda Weinberg]

8. The employees agreed to it

I heard congressional testimony - the families accepted the risk pay, but now seek normal legal redress. The system isn't meant to work that way, despite our political sympathies.

[blondeatlast]

11. If BW has a case, why insist on private arbitration?

And why even bother to quash them?

[Fredda Weinberg]

13. They have a contractual right and obligation to the company

The families are understandably seeking more, but Blackwater has protected itself from jury sympathies.

[Nikki Stone1]

9. R #5

:kick:

[NNN0LHI]

16. Any way both sides can lose?

I can dream.

Don