The parents of the accuser in the Duke lacrosse rape case have been talking with high powered civil lawsuit attorney Willie Gary. At the suggestion of none other than Jesse Jackson!
Accuser?s Mother Meets With Famed Attorney
Civil-rights lawyer Willie Gary expresses interest in Duke rape investigation
ESSENCE magazine has learned that famed civil-rights attorney Willie Gary met with the mother of the young woman at the center of the controversial Duke rape investigation briefly this afternoon in Chapel Hill.
Reverend Jesse Jackson told ESSENCE that during a conversation in which he called to pray with the parents of the alleged victim, he suggested that the family call Willie Gary and gave the mother the necessary contact information. The father of the 27-year-old alleged victim called Willie Gary?s office to follow up on Reverend Jackson?s suggestion.
Willie Gary, a prominent Florida attorney known as the Giant Killer in some legal circles, is the founding partner in Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson, & Sperando, P.L. Gary has made headlines with high-profile cases against Fortune 500 companies like Anheuser-Busch, Microsoft and Coca-Cola. He won a $500 million verdict against the Loewen Group, a Canadian company that owned a chain of funeral homes, and a $240 million award against Walt Disney Corp.
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We could be looking at the Kobe Bryant case, with different races.
Is ‘Duke’ Case Headed to Civil Court?
There is no indication that the accuser has spoken with Gary. At the moment, he acts only as a family adviser. Nevertheless, the parents seem to be laying groundwork to make a civil bid more publicly palatable.
Public opinion can be a large bargaining chip in obtaining a lucrative settlement or judgment but media attention must be the proper kind. Earlier, the parents spoke freely to the press; now they seem to be selecting their exposure with care.
For example, this month’s Essence features three articles on Duke written by journalist Kristal Brent Zook. Each is sympathetic to the accuser. One is entitled “Family Defends Daughter’s Painful Past.”
A second, entitled “Nowhere to Turn,” depicts the accuser as living in terror. The third is basically an announcement of Willie Gary’s appearance in the case; it concludes by stating that the parents “worry that their daughter may?need additional legal guidance.”
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In the Kobe Bryant case, for example, rape charges stemming from his June 2003 encounter with a 20-year-old woman were dropped at her request. A civil suit and out-of-court settlement followed.
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Given the weak evidence in this case, I don’t even think it would fly in civil court. But Willie Gary has been successful at his work. Back in 2005 he claimed to have a net worth of $60 million. He had to report his worth because of twins conceived during his extramarital activities. This is costing him $6 million, at a rate of $28K a month.
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