LINDEN, Texas (AP) -- A jury awarded $9 million to a black man who suffered permanent brain damage after being beaten and dumped in a field by four men in 2003.
Billy Ray Johnson, 46, lives in a nursing home because of the injuries he suffered in the beating. In the criminal case, the men accused of assaulting him were fined and sentenced to probation and jail time, but none served more than 60 days behind bars.
In a four-day civil trial in District Court that ended Friday, jurors found James Cory Hicks and Christopher Colt Amox responsible for Johnson's injuries. Defendants Dallas Chadwick Stone and John Wesley Owens previously reached confidential settlements, attorneys said.
A jury of 11 whites and one black deliberated less than four hours before returning a unanimous verdict, said attorneys for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of Johnson.
"The jury told all of Texas and, indeed, the entire country, that Billy Ray is a human being who deserves to be treated with dignity -- that the life of each of us, rich or poor, black or white, abled or disabled, is truly precious," said Morris Dees, founder and chief trial attorney for the Montgomery, Alabama-based law center.
Authorities in this poor, pine-locked east Texas hamlet had said that Johnson, well-known around town as a friendly but "slow" character, was lured to an all-white pasture party where underage drinkers fed him alcohol and picked on him.
Authorities said Johnson, who lived with his mother and brother and had no criminal background or history of violence, was taunted for the defendants' amusement. He was found unconscious on a fire ant mound and had suffered a serious concussion and bleeding in the brain.
Jurors in the criminal cases against Amox and Hicks acquitted them of serious felony charges, instead convicting them of a lesser charge and recommending probation. Stone and Owens pleaded guilty to an "injury to a disabled individual by omission" charge.
District Attorney Randal Lee said before the sentences were imposed that the juries' decisions were in line with other juries who sympathize with first-time offenders. He pointed out that the so-called beating involved one punch.
source: cnn.com
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April 22, 2007
Texas Jury Awards $9 Million to Beating Victim
April 21, 2007
April 20, 2007
WWE Severs Ties with DSW
World Wrestling Entertainment has ended its relationship with Deep South Wrestling. For the past two years, DSW has served as one of WWE’s developmental territories. The move had been rumored for months and following a contentious relationship that saw Deep South Wrestling’s Jody Hamilton lash out at WWE for removing Bill Demott from his position as trainer. Hamilton quickly removed the negative comments that had been posted online about Demott’s removal, but it was a public sign of the friction that had been brewing between WWE and Hamilton.
According to several sources, WWE made the decision to sever ties with Jody Hamilton’s Deep South Wrestling after a number of issues the company wasn’t happy with in recent months. When Bruce Prichard visited the developmental territory last week, he brought back a negative report, which was said to be the final straw in the situation. WWE sent someone down to DSW to oversee the split from their end today. Nothing has been settled yet as to what will happen to the WWE developmental talents that were assigned to DSW. Some will be sent over to Ohio Valley Wrestling, while it’s also possible some may be released due to the glut of talent. There’s also a chance some may be brought up to the main rosters to fill out the existing brands.
source: insideprowrestling.com
Full Text of Alec Baldwin's Call to his Daughter
The following is a message that was allegedly left by Alec Baldwin for his 11-year-old daughter, as reported by TMZ.com. Click here to listen to the message. Warning, some vulgar language is used in the message.
Hey, I want to tell you something, OK? And I want to leave a message for you right now. 'Cause again, it's 10:30 here in New York on a Wednesday, and once again I've made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone to call you at a specific time. When the time comes for me to make the phone call, I stop whatever I'm doing and I go and I make that phone call. At 11 o'clock in the morning in New York and if you don't pick up the phone at 10 o'clock at night. And you don't even have the G**damn phone turned on. I want you to know something, OK?
I'm tired of playing this game with you. I'm leaving this message with you to tell you you have insulted me for the last time. You have insulted me. You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being. I don't give a damn that you're 12 years old, or 11 years old, or that you're a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do as far as I'm concerned. You have humiliated me for the last time with this phone.
And when I come out there next week, I'm going to fly out there for the day just to straighten you out on this issue. I'm going to let you know just how disappointed in you I am and how angry I am with you that you've done this to me again. You've made me feel like s**t and you've made me feel like a fool over and over and over again. And this crap you pull on me with this G**damn phone situation that you would never dream of doing to your mother and you do it to me constantly and over and over again. I am going to get on a plane and I am going to come out there for the day and I am going to straighten your ass out when I see you. Do you understand me? I'm going to really make sure you get it. Then I'm going to get on a plane and I'm going to turn around and come home. So you'd better be ready Friday the 20th to meet with me. So I'm going to let you know just how I feel about what a rude little pig you really are. You are a rude, thoughtless little pig, OK?
Mick Foley to Star in New Reality Show
Credit: PWInsider.com
Mick Foley recently discussed filming a reality series plot for the A&E Network in an interview with hobotrashcan.com.
In the interview he noted, “You know, the people at A&E really sold me on what the show could be. I watched some of their shows specifically and I think that in the same way I was really proud of being in Beyond the Mat, I could be proud of a reality show, especially if it allows me to cover some of my interests outside of wrestling and may draw people into supporting some causes that I do."
Foley also noted that his wife was "terrified" of the idea but the intention of the pilot is to focus on Foley himself, not his family.
For upcoming Foley fictional novels in the future, Foley may be releasing under a pen name to prevent what has been a recurring theme in his writing career when it comes to reviewers, his work being dismissed because he's a professional wrestler, as opposed to being judged on its own merits.
April 18, 2007
"Paul Levesque … a really really smart, wonderful young man." - Vince McMahon WWE Shareholders Meeting September 15, 2005
Wrestling Link To VA Tech Massacre
Written by Tom Wilkens on Apr 18, 2007
Something else to blame wreslting for:
In an AP story on Cho Seung-Hui, the student who perpetrated the massacre at Virginia Tech University, he was described as being a loner who spent time on his computer and watching TV, noting he watched Friday night wrestling. The article said, "He (roommate Karan Grewal) said Cho usually worked alone on his computer and watched TV, including Friday night wrestling. He was always alone _ in the dining hall, watching television, working out with weights in the gym. He rarely spoke to anyone." Also, MSNBC's 'Hardball with Chris Matthews' mentioned this fact on today's show.
partial source: Wrestling Observer
April 17, 2007
Stone Cold Presents CMT Award
By Kara A. Medalis
Written: April 17, 2007
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was a presenter at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn., last night. He and Grammy Award-winning singer Gretchen Wilson presented the Male Video of the Year award.
“Since this award is all about the strong, solid men of country music, they wanted the toughest person in the room to give the award away,” Stone Cold said to a cheering audience at The Curb Event Center at Belmont University.
“Yes, and we’re all glad you could come along, too, Steve,” Wilson joked to a smiling Stone Cold.
They presented the buckle award to Kenny Chesney for “You Save Me.” The annual CMT Music Awards are country music’s only fan-voted awards and air on the Country Music Television network. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosted.
Stone Cold’s appearance is just one of many for the busy WWE Superstar, who is traveling around the country promoting WWE Films’ action/thriller The Condemned, which hits theaters nationwide April 27. This weekend he was the Grand Marshall at NASCAR Nextel Cup’s Samsung 500 in Fort Worth, Texas. Tomorrow, he’ll be a special guest at the San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park, where he’ll take batting practice and meet several of the team’s players.
source: wwe.com
