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US to Pay $4 Million to Student for DEA Neglect in Jail

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 12:45:12 PM EST
Tags: Daniel Chong (all tags)
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Remember Daniel Chong, the San Diego college student the DEA forgot about and left in a jail cell for 5 days? The cell was 5' by 10' with no bathroom. Since they forgot he was there, no food or water were provided and he had to drink his own urine. Nor did they hear his screams.

The U.S. has agreed to pay him $4 million. DOJ handled the negotiations. More here.

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    US to Pay $4 Million to Student for DEA Neglect in Jail | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    I DO remember this story (5.00 / 7) (#1)
    by shoephone on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 01:10:11 PM EST
    The U.S. police state nearly killed this young man... because he was smoking pot. I'm glad he's being compensated for his trauma. Now, if only the DEA agents were going to jail.

    No kidding (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Zorba on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 01:19:29 PM EST
    But He!! will freeze over before that happens.   :-(

    Parent
    And Kerlikowsi should be the first (5.00 / 5) (#3)
    by shoephone on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 01:37:41 PM EST
    one on the list. As Seattle's former chief jailer, it must really eat away at him that we have legalized pot here.

    Parent
    Degenerately inhumane (none / 0) (#4)
    by Dadler on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 02:58:56 PM EST
    And that is being nice.

    I saw this hypocritical conflict on full display in what was otherwise a hilarious movie...THE HEAT, with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. Black people smoking weed were evil and worth of holding upside down from balconies, while white cops getting loaded beyond belief on alcohol were just wholesome, letting-off-a-little-steam American buddies.

    And a woman wrote that script. It was the oddest experience I've had in a movie in a long time, maybe ever. I went from real laughs to head-scratching frustration every few minutes. I may see it again and try to write something more substantial about it. If the laughs weren't so gut-busting and frequent, I wouldn't give a sh*t, but that's what made the other socially degenerate paradigms being exploited so disturbing.

    Parent

    Any penalty for the DEA agents? (5.00 / 9) (#5)
    by Towanda on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 05:24:22 PM EST
    Will their lives be shorter, as his will be, after kidney failure?

    Will their lives be worse, as the rest of his will be, not only owing to kidney failure but also owing to PTSD?

    Will they pay any penalty, other than what we all will pay as taxpayers to try to recompense another citizen for this abuse and torture at their hands -- and ours?

    No, I didn't think so.

    Yes, it's true, Towanda (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Zorba on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 06:35:06 PM EST
    The DEA agents responsible are not paying any price.  We, the taxpayers, are paying for their misdeeds.
    Not that Daniel Chong doesn't deserve every penny of the compensation, and more.  He will never get his life back.
    I just wish that those agents had to answer for this.  And, BTW, the same is true of the entire DEA, more than an apology and taxpayer-provided money to compensate for their misdeeds.
    We need to either rein in the DEA, or disband it.
    But then, I suppose that the same thing could be said of a number of government agencies, unfortunately.

    Parent
    Oh yes, I remember this one, and my horror (5.00 / 3) (#6)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 06:18:31 PM EST
    This is everyone's worst nightmare. I am glad he at least got some serious compensation.  He should also get free medical care for life.

    And as others have said, where are the penalties for those that messed this up?

    Seems like DOJ is STILL investigating (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Mikado Cat on Tue Jul 30, 2013 at 10:24:07 PM EST
    as far as I can tell nobody was discplined, and a year later case still open? Makes no sense other than to cover it up.

    US to Pay $4 Million to Student for DEA Neglect in Jail | 8 comments (8 topical)

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