In an almost unanimous vote, California legislators are settling kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard’s claim against the state for $20 million. Almost unanimous? So, who’s the guy who voted against her claim?
Honestly, the Dugard case is one of the most unbelievable and disturbing kidnapping cases in recent memory. Kidnapped at age 11, Dugard was raped and held captive for 18 years. She had two children while in captivity, fathered by her abductor Phillip Garrido who, along with his wife Nancy, is awaiting trial. And he was on parole for most of that time!
A November report by California Inspector-General David Shaw revealed that, “Garrido committed numerous parole violations and that the department failed to properly supervise Garrido and missed numerous opportunities to discover his victims.”
Dugard, who was held in a shed for much of her imprisonment along with her two children, is seeking compensation for psychological, physical and emotional damages. In January, Dugard filed the claim against the state for not properly monitoring Garrido and it was passed Thursday with a 30-1 vote in the Senate and 62-0 vote in the Assembly.
Now $20 million is a lot of money and California has been grappling with budget cuts for some time now, but who could really vote against this? 18 years!
Fortunately for Dugard and her children, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be signing off on the bill. (via CNN)