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Judge: FBI helped frame 4 men for murder (Boston, 1965)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/26/07 | Denise Lavoie - ap

Posted on by NormsRevenge

BOSTON - The FBI helped frame four men for a 1965 murder and withheld information that could have cleared them, a federal judge ruled Thursday in ordering the government to pay $101.7 million for the decades they spent in prison.

"The FBI's misconduct was clearly the sole cause of this conviction," U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner said in issuing her ruling in the civil lawsuit.

She called the government's argument that the FBI had no duty to get involved in the state case "absurd."

Peter Limone and Joseph Salvati, who were exonerated in 2001, 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 knew mob hitman Joseph "The Animal" Barboza lied when he named the men as killers in the 1965 death of Edward Deegan. They said Barboza was protecting a fellow FBI informant, Vincent "Jimmy" Flemmi, who was involved in the hit.

The four wrongly convicted men were treated as "acceptable collateral damage" because the FBI's priority at the time was taking down the Mafia, their attorneys said.

A Justice Department lawyer had argued that federal authorities couldn't be held responsible for the results of a state prosecution and had no duty to share information with the officials who prosecuted Limone, Salvati, Henry Tameleo and Louis Greco.

"It took 30 years to uncover this injustice, and the government's position is, in a word, absurd," Gertner told the packed courtroom. "No lost liberty is dispensable. We have fought wars over this principle. We are still fighting these wars."

Salvati and Limone were exonerated after FBI memos dating back to the Deegan case surfaced, indicating that the four men had been framed by Barboza. The memos were made public during a Justice Department task force probe of the Boston FBI's relationship with gangsters and FBI informants James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi.

Limone, now 73, and Salvati, 75, stared straight ahead as the judge announced her ruling. A gasp could be heard from the area where their friends and family were sitting when Gertner said how much the government would be forced to pay.

Gertner awarded $26 million to Limone, $29 million to Salvati, $13 million to Tameleo's estate and $28 million to Greco's estate.

The wives of Limone and Salvati and the estate of Tameleo's deceased wife each were awarded slightly more than $1 million, and the men's 10 children were each awarded $250,000.

The men's attorneys had not asked for a specific amount in damages, but in court documents they cited other wrongful conviction cases in which $1 million was awarded for every year of imprisonment.

"Do I want the money? Yes, I want my children, my grandchildren to have things I didn't have, but nothing can compensate for what they've done," Salvati said.

Salvati had been sentenced to life in prison as an accessory to murder and served more than 29 years before his sentence was commuted in 1997.

"It's been a long time coming," said Limone, who served 33 years in prison before he was freed in 2001. "What I've been through  I hope it never happens to anyone else."

Justice Department lawyer Bridget Bailey Lipscomb declined immediate comment on the ruling.



TOPICS:

Crime/Corruption

Extended News

Government

US: Massachusetts

KEYWORDS:

boston

fbi

frame

govwatch

judge

mafia

murder





Peter Limone, right, and Joseph Salvati embrace outside the Federal Courthouse in Boston after they were awarded a $101.7 million settlement for their wrongful conviction and three decade imprisonment Thursday, July 26, 2007. The two men were released from prison in 2001 after it was learned the FBI withheld evidence of their innocence to protect an informant. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)



by 2 posted onby NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Welcome to FR. The Virtual Boot Camp for 'infidels' in waiting)

To: NormsRevenge

wrongly convicted men murdered women and kids at Waco were treated as "acceptable collateral damage" because the FBI's priority at the time was taking down the Mafia, covering up for the lies of the BATF. L



by 3 posted onby Lurker (Comparing moderate islam to extremist islam is like comparing small pox to ebola.)

To: NormsRevenge

Birds of a feather. They surely deserved their sentences and more.



To: NormsRevenge

Sleep soundly America. The FBI is working hard to protect you. L



by 5 posted onby Lurker (Comparing moderate islam to extremist islam is like comparing small pox to ebola.)

To: Lurker

Birds of a feather BUMP.



by 6 posted onby beltfed308 (Rudy: When you absolutely,positively need a liberal for President.)

To: SteveMcKing

Birds of a feather. They surely deserved their sentences and more. you can't be serious... that has to be one of the inane statements that I have seen on FR in a log time ... (that says alot) I think you might be happier in China, N. Korea, Iran or another country where guilt by association. or trumped up false charges as used to imprison "undesirables"... we don't aren't supposed to do that here... bet you supported Nifong also...



by 7 posted onby SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)

To: NormsRevenge

Meanwhile, Whitey’s still on the run...



by 8 posted onby khnyny (The best minds are not in government. If they were, business would hire them away. Ronald Reagan)

To: Lurker

A voice of reason. Ahhhh, refreshing. Hey there L.



by 9 posted onby jedward (Mission '08 - Take back the House & Senate. No Negotiations...No Prisoners.)

To: SteveMcKing

Birds of a feather. They surely deserved their sentences and more.



People are punished for crimes they actually committed, not ones they are framed for. If you can prove that these guys committed an actual crime, then fine. If not, then you're full of crap.



I suspect the latter.



by 10 posted onby JamesP81 (Keep your friends close; keep your enemies at optimal engagement range)

To: NormsRevenge

So are these guys mobsters who were not guilty of this particular murder, or were they innocent law-abiding citizens who were framed? There is a difference.



To: SteveMcKing

They surely deserved their sentences and more. Here's hoping the FBI takes a real personal interest in you and then decides that your life will just be 'acceptable collateral damage.' L



by 12 posted onby Lurker (Comparing moderate islam to extremist islam is like comparing small pox to ebola.)

To: ozzymandus

There is a difference. What exactly? L



by 13 posted onby Lurker (Comparing moderate islam to extremist islam is like comparing small pox to ebola.)

To: NormsRevenge

They should be placed in PMITA Prison for a minumum of 30 years ... If any of these agents are still alive ...should be placed infor a minumum of 30 years ... starting today...



by 14 posted onby SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)

To: ozzymandus

There is a difference. Nope... no differnce in this county we (are supposed to) get a fair trial ... and get convicted.. based on the evidence... not have some self-rightous LEO frame us ... if they had commited a crime they should have been tried for that ..



by 15 posted onby SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)

To: SubGeniusX

you can't be serious... I'm willing to bet that they have paid for the crimes they have commited, even accidentially, that they will never be brought to trial for.



by 16 posted onby Inquisitive1 (I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance - Socrates)

To: NormsRevenge

presumably there are some on FR who think the government maybe used to do things like this, but surely doesn’t anymore.



To: Inquisitive1

I'm willing to bet that they have paid for the crimes they have commited, even accidentially, that they will never be brought to trial for. I am just thrilled to see that so many on THIS site have apparently no regard for this little document we have in have in this country... please let me introduce you to it as you have obviously NEVER seen it and have no respect for it ... it's called the CONSTITUTION specificaly the part you appear ignorant of is: AMENDMENT IV:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. please familiarize yourself with this document...I don't understand how you can have a problem with this... please explain



by 18 posted onby SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)

To: NormsRevenge

let's see .... the Fumbling Bumbling and Incompetent frame several people who spend decades in jail our tax dollars are used compensate the victims of the FBI's crimes and there is no prosecution of the FBI weasels? they operate with complete impunity and they make the few honest amongst them colored with their felonious conduct .



To: SteveMcKing

Birds of a feather. They surely deserved their sentences and more. Depending on whom you ask, I’m sure we all do.



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