By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH.org
The state’s new proposed schedule to hold “bellwether” trials in the Sununu Youth Services Center abuse scandal is getting called out as a lie by lawyers for the survivors, while the state accuses them of trying to game the cases for cash.
This week, Assistant Attorney General Brandon Chase accused lawyers for the more than 1,200 adults who claim they were horrifically abused as children at the center, which was then called YDC, of trying to stack the plaintiffs for the upcoming trials in order to pad their payouts.
“The Court has recognized both the need to move cases efficiently and to try a variety of claims. However, plaintiffs’ counsel are dragging their heels. They are attempting to cherry pick what they perceive as their strongest cases—not surprising given that they stand to receive 40 percent of each award,” Chase said in a statement.
The abuse cases are set to be resolved through a series of “bellwether” trials which will serve as mini class actions, in which different plaintiffs will go to court as representative of many other plaintiffs with similar claims.
Chase used a press release about a recent scheduling proposal filed by the state to take his shots at the other side. But David Vicinanzo, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs, fired back. He told InDepthNH.org that Chase used the attack while trying to downplay the fact the state is slow-walking the trial process.
“The only thing noteworthy about this routine scheduling proposal is the bald-face lies they tell about it,” Vicinanzo said. “Their plan doesn’t call for any more trials until 18 months from now. Then they issued a presser saying they are trying to speed things up, knowing they were doing the opposite.”
The state is already trying to challenge the $38 million a jury awarded this year to David Meehan, the first of the YDC survivors to get a trial. Meehan was raped hundreds of times during his four years in state custody, he was also subject to brutal beatings and prolonged solitary confinement.
The jury found the state is liable to essentially enabling Meehan’s abusers, failing to stop the abuse, and effectively covering up the scandal for decades.
Chase wants to include “bellwether” survivors who did not experience any type of sexual abuse for the upcoming trials. He claims Vicinanzo and attorney Rus Rilee are not handing over information about the survivors that would let the state steer the type of victims who get trials.