JJ Settlement

[Umista]

Damn!
I am one that won't forget.
Engstrom's mistakes cost all of us more than we will ever get back.
JJ will never have this thing washed up and forgotten, no, it will always be on him like water on fish.
My outright dislike of the actions of Florio, Pat Williams, Engstrom, Coutour, Justice Dept., DA's office, Missoulian paper and so damn many more is hard to describe.
Nope, a million or two would not help JJ. What does help him right now is to have this thing over with and it will allow him to keep his head up and get on with his life.
Of course we have a couple of other men that got a deep knife in the back because of Engstrom's flim-flam actions, O'Day and Pflugrad. Ahh hell!

 

[SACCAT66]

$245k is a nice way to start off your post college life. Could go a long way.

Maybe not worth it, i mean wouldn't recommend creating that path for your self.

Must have forgotten there are lawyers... Wouldn't assume JJ is "making out" here @ all.

Didn't you read the earlier post? The lawyers believed in his cause and cut him a deal, so he didn't have to pay as much to them...

 

[bgbigdog]

$245k is a nice way to start off your post college life. Could go a long way.

Maybe not worth it, i mean wouldn't recommend creating that path for your self.

Must have forgotten there are lawyers... Wouldn't assume JJ is "making out" here @ all.

Didn't you read the earlier post? The lawyers believed in his cause and cut him a deal, so he didn't have to pay as much to them...

Because PR said so? Were I to look up naieve in the dictionary, would your picture be there?

 

[SeattleBobcat]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Obama's justice department turns on one the most liberal institutions out there in 'liberal/progressive' land.

How deliciously ironic. Karma can be a bitch.

I bet you blame Obama for everything huh? I glad he's the only president we've ever had and we don't have a separate legislative branch that passes laws... you should probably try to rub those 2 brains cells you have left together and come up with a coherent thought.

 

[Lakerhater]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Obama's justice department turns on one the most liberal institutions out there in 'liberal/progressive' land.

How deliciously ironic. Karma can be a bitch.

I bet you blame Obama for everything huh? I glad he's the only president we've ever had and we don't have a separate legislative branch that passes laws... you should probably try to rub those 2 brains cells you have left together and come up with a coherent thought.

You're the typical Obama apologist; anyone who says anything negative regarding the current regime gets attacked and ridiculed; with that said...... if you would use your one brain cell, you'd realize the last eight years BO has caused more division amongst the citizens of this country than any other president in our nation's history. So F'hawk off !!! Take your change and shove it.

 

[GrizWhiz]

So is Royce going to take this settlement money out of the athletics budget?

Heard he was going to make it up by eliminating Gwens position in the J school.

I suggest he eliminate himself from the position he currently occupies! :thumb:

 

[HookedonGriz]

So is Royce going to take this settlement money out of the athletics budget?

Out of your taxes actually. The state of MT pays this. The specific fund its coming from was listed in the article.

 

[grizatwork]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Obama's justice department turns on one the most liberal institutions out there in 'liberal/progressive' land.

How deliciously ironic. Karma can be a bitch.

I bet you blame Obama for everything huh? I glad he's the only president we've ever had and we don't have a separate legislative branch that passes laws... you should probably try to rub those 2 brains cells you have left together and come up with a coherent thought.

You're the typical Obama apologist; anyone who says anything negative regarding the current regime gets attacked and ridiculed; with that said...... if you would use your one brain cell, you'd realize the last eight years BO has caused more division amongst the citizens of this country than any other president in our nation's history. So F'hawk off !!! Take your change and shove it.

I think the division is more than just one man. He has been a somewhat polarizing figure, but it is helped by the rise of talk radio, social media, and a lazy electorate. We sit back and wait for something to be outraged about rather than understand any part of our governing process. It seems like opinion is determined by facebook likes or twitter shares.

If you think Obama has been polarizing, just wait until we have a president Trump or a President Clinton. We have a divided population with a primary system that causes the eventual party candidate to bow to the most extreme parts of the party and then try to sprint to middle for the general election. You are probably going to look back at Obamas term as a calm and peaceful one.

 

[firmgriz]

Nailed it grizatwork

 

[dupuyer griz]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Obama's justice department turns on one the most liberal institutions out there in 'liberal/progressive' land.

How deliciously ironic. Karma can be a bitch.

I bet you blame Obama for everything huh? I glad he's the only president we've ever had and we don't have a separate legislative branch that passes laws... you should probably try to rub those 2 brains cells you have left together and come up with a coherent thought.

You're the typical Obama apologist; anyone who says anything negative regarding the current regime gets attacked and ridiculed; with that said...... if you would use your one brain cell, you'd realize the last eight years BO has caused more division amongst the citizens of this country than any other president in our nation's history. So F'hawk off !!! Take your change and shove it.

I think the division is more than just one man. He has been a somewhat polarizing figure, but it is helped by the rise of talk radio, social media, and a lazy electorate. We sit back and wait for something to be outraged about rather than understand any part of our governing process. It seems like opinion is determined by facebook likes or twitter shares.

If you think Obama has been polarizing, just wait until we have a president Trump or a President Clinton. We have a divided population with a primary system that causes the eventual party candidate to bow to the most extreme parts of the party and then try to sprint to middle for the general election. You are probably going to look back at Obamas term as a calm and peaceful one.

It's interesting that it's everyone else's fault when we talk about Obama, but everything that was wrong when Obama came in was 100% Bush's fault...same people, different standard? Not saying it is either person's fault, but it seems interesting to me.

 

[statler & waldorf]

Why can't the BOR connect the dots. Are they that goddamned stupid, or are they just playing out the agenda of those who appointed them, namely Schweitzer and Bullock. Let's not forget the confirmation role of the State Senate. There are a lot of heads that need to roll in this mess, all started by Engstrom's incompetence.

 

[grizatwork]

I bet you blame Obama for everything huh? I glad he's the only president we've ever had and we don't have a separate legislative branch that passes laws... you should probably try to rub those 2 brains cells you have left together and come up with a coherent thought.

You're the typical Obama apologist; anyone who says anything negative regarding the current regime gets attacked and ridiculed; with that said...... if you would use your one brain cell, you'd realize the last eight years BO has caused more division amongst the citizens of this country than any other president in our nation's history. So F'hawk off !!! Take your change and shove it.

I think the division is more than just one man. He has been a somewhat polarizing figure, but it is helped by the rise of talk radio, social media, and a lazy electorate. We sit back and wait for something to be outraged about rather than understand any part of our governing process. It seems like opinion is determined by facebook likes or twitter shares.

If you think Obama has been polarizing, just wait until we have a president Trump or a President Clinton. We have a divided population with a primary system that causes the eventual party candidate to bow to the most extreme parts of the party and then try to sprint to middle for the general election. You are probably going to look back at Obamas term as a calm and peaceful one.

It's interesting that it's everyone else's fault when we talk about Obama, but everything that was wrong when Obama came in was 100% Bush's fault...same people, different standard? Not saying it is either person's fault, but it seems interesting to me.

That's where we are as a country. The result of a 2 party system that is so well funded on both sides that it will remain a 2 party system. Designed to divide the electorate to keep them outraged at what the other side is doing so they will keep writing checks to their own side. Depending on which side of the aisle you sit on it is either the libtards fault or the republithugs fault. Most can't get over the emotional aspect to see how the game is fixed and will stay that way. The casino makes the rules and they keep laughing all the way to the bank while the general population actually thinks we are changing anything. The political pendulum will continue to swing from what appears to be the left to the right when the movement is minuscule and designed to stay that way due to the underlying financial stakes at play.

 

[RobGriz]

meanwhile, the author of all this sxxxstorm, Royce,gets a raise; your friend, yogi

It can probably be said that thanks to Royce Engstrom's handling of the entire affair, UM paid out close to $1 million in settlements, and lost $25 million in revenue by losing 2,000 students, and is known far and wide at "the University that crumbled and sacrificed student rights." Universities across the land are paying the price for adopting the "UM Model," perhaps the single biggest and most expensive legal error in higher education history, not to mention one of the most shameful, where students, on the basis of their sex, lost their constitutional rights.

Dukes handling of its lacrosse team during the alleged rape scandal there is probably on par.

 

[mtgrizrule]

You're the typical Obama apologist; anyone who says anything negative regarding the current regime gets attacked and ridiculed; with that said...... if you would use your one brain cell, you'd realize the last eight years BO has caused more division amongst the citizens of this country than any other president in our nation's history. So F'hawk off !!! Take your change and shove it.

I think the division is more than just one man. He has been a somewhat polarizing figure, but it is helped by the rise of talk radio, social media, and a lazy electorate. We sit back and wait for something to be outraged about rather than understand any part of our governing process. It seems like opinion is determined by facebook likes or twitter shares.

If you think Obama has been polarizing, just wait until we have a president Trump or a President Clinton. We have a divided population with a primary system that causes the eventual party candidate to bow to the most extreme parts of the party and then try to sprint to middle for the general election. You are probably going to look back at Obamas term as a calm and peaceful one.

It's interesting that it's everyone else's fault when we talk about Obama, but everything that was wrong when Obama came in was 100% Bush's fault...same people, different standard? Not saying it is either person's fault, but it seems interesting to me.

That's where we are as a country. The result of a 2 party system that is so well funded on both sides that it will remain a 2 party system. Designed to divide the electorate to keep them outraged at what the other side is doing so they will keep writing checks to their own side. Depending on which side of the aisle you sit on it is either the libtards fault or the republithugs fault. Most can't get over the emotional aspect to see how the game is fixed and will stay that way. The casino makes the rules and they keep laughing all the way to the bank while the general population actually thinks we are changing anything. The political pendulum will continue to swing from what appears to be the left to the right when the movement is minuscule and designed to stay that way due to the underlying financial stakes at play.

There are way too many crooks and liars in politics these days. It is damn near impossible to get enough honest politicians in office to make a positive impact for US citizens. I wonder what our forefathers are thinking these days? They have to be ashamed, upset, frustrated, and disappointed in our current political model we live by these days. I better leave it at that. By the way, I am not a democrat or republican. Just a believer that the system is broken.

 

[billingsgriz]

I am not a lawyer, but I have several friends here in Billings and around the state that are. Going to school at UM in the early 90's, my next door neighbors on Hartman across the street from Kiwanis Park were law students, and since they fed me and provided my with more than a few adult beverages, and UM's Law School continues to feed me at Homecoming and a lot of other Griz fans, both UM law alum and laymen, I really love UM's Law School !!!

A week before JJ's trial, one Billings UM lawyer who went to law school with lawyers on both sides of JJ's trial, told me that "Fat Freddy," another UM lawyer friend's nickname for former Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenberg, offered Jordy a plea deal where he would plead guilty to a misdemeanor, register as a sex offender, and he would receive a deferred/suspended sentence involving no jail time and a fine.

Having been a big fan of "Law and Order" for years, I asked him if that meant that Van Valkenberg thought his case was in trouble. My friend said yes--he thought the alleged victim might be wavering a week out when the prosecution's warnings about her life possibly being an open book at trial really started to sink in.

I think it took some real stones to turn down that plea deal--I am guessing lifetime registration as even a low-level sex offender might have killed the plea agreement.

After the trial, another lawyer friend at Wed., lunch asked me to guess how much Jordy's defense cost.

My guess: $100,000--although I am only a layman, even I know that good lawyers and expert witnesses are expensive !!!

His response: $300,000--I think I about choked on my pasta--that's a lot of dough, especially for a college kid. My friend thought that Jordy's parents had to refinance their house to come up with that, plus raid some retirement and savings accounts.

My next question for my friend: Can't Jordy sue the alleged victim now that he was acquitted?

My friend's response: Sure, maybe he'll win a mountain bike and a futon.

So if we have lunch again today--normally we meet for lunch in Downtown Billings on Wed., my next question for him is going to be, "What about suing her once she becomes a pharmacist?" ... assuming she still is on track to do so or has already graduated.

I will post his response. I am guessing UM's student court decision, student loans, etc. could all be mitigating factors if it is legally possible--which it may not be--to sue her upon her graduation and her gainful employment.

 

[statler & waldorf]

Google Igor Panarin, all you political buffs.
Back to topic, does anyone know of other legal actions pending related to this Engstrom originated mess?

 

[griz5700]

He should and probably could have gotten way more than that.

But any judgment/settlement in the Johnson's favor is good news. They deserve it.

 

[billingsgriz]

Amen, 5700 !!!

 

[UMGriz75]

A week before JJ's trial, one Billings UM lawyer who went to law school with lawyers on both sides of JJ's trial, told me that "Fat Freddy," another UM lawyer friend's nickname for former Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenberg, offered Jordy a plea deal where he would plead guilty to a misdemeanor, register as a sex offender, and he would receive a deferred/suspended sentence involving no jail time and a fine.

Everything you say is true. That's one reason it took Fred so long to charge it; he knew they couldn't win it. Yes, the accuser wanted to back out a week before trial. She had sent a text to a friend something along the lines of "I may have just made all this up" and the defense had a copy of it. The defense cost of $300,000 is a bit high but in the ballpark; that's why America has the highest conviction rate in the world (something like 95%) because of the cost of challenging the unlimited resources of the "State."

Fred knew a plea bargain would look just terrible in this case, but had no choice but to offer it when his key witness got shaky. The tailwind behind this consisted of the Missoulian and Engstrom. They had specific social and political causes to honor.

I am guessing that the "settlement" amount reflects the actual attorney fees involved, and that Paoli did the work on that part gratis. So, it likely got JJ and his family back to where they were, but without compensation for the future damage, which of course is permanent. I suspect Paoli was willing to hold out for more, much more, but that JJ just wanted it over with.

As noted, the "UM Protocols" have done untold damage to Universities across the nation; the most recent being the University of Virginia debacle via Rolling Stone. A number of prominent law professors point to the DOJ's attitude that discrimination now can be found on the basis of "disparate impact" rather than "intent," and that the net result of the Engstrom Agreement is that social activists can specifically target male students, especially athletes and fraternities, and that the Engstrom Agreement itself is a violation of Title IX -- a civil rights violation per se, above and beyond denial of due process and equal protection.

 

[montanamike21]

Billings Griz...

I also was a resident of Hartman Street from 91-93... What a small world given there were at most a handful of houses on that little stub of a street. We were not in the one next to the basketball court but the next one over.