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Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Costs

By Jeralyn, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 12:47:14 PM EST
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What an outrage! Wilbert Rideau was freed from jail in January after serving 44 years. During that time he became a critically acclaimed journalist. At his last re-trial, he was convicted of manslaughter, for which the maximum sentence is 21 years. Having served more than that, he was freed.

Judge David Ritchie issued the order for Rideau to pay up and said he based it on an anticipated windfall of money he expects Rideau to make from a writing career. Ritchie, who presided over Rideau's fourth trial, said it's not unlike assessing costs to a person who expects a settlement in the near future from a pending civil suit.

His lawyers have until April 15 to appeal, and they will.

Lead defense attorney and public defender Ron Ware said Tuesday he and the other members of Rideau's defense team plan to do just that. "It is totally inappropriate," Ware said. "It is unprecedented for an indigent (defendant) who has served that much time to be ordered to pay court costs. The trial is over, the verdict is in, and it is time to let it go and move on."

You can read about Mr. Rideau's long fight for justice here.

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    Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Costs | 18 comments (18 topical)
    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:30:04 PM EST
    I've never heard of such a thing. Does this wealthy celeb's, your Winona Ryders, Martha Stewarts and Ken Lays, are or will be paying court costs, since they get free pub out of it?

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:30:07 PM EST
    From Michael Fumento... "In 1961 Rideau robbed a Lake Charles, Louisiana bank using a gun he'd purchased the day before along with a buck knife. He ordered three employees into his car and drove them to a bayou. There he emptied his gun into them at point blank range, hitting two in the neck and a third in the arm. One escaped into the water; one feigned death. The third, Julia Ferguson, made the mistake (according to the others) of begging for her life. Rideau drew his knife and plunged it into her heart, killing her." Sounds like a great guy. Let's all rejoice that he's free today. It takes a liberal to celebrate killers walking free, and the "right" to kill an unborn baby...but conservates are the hearless ones, right?

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:38:57 PM EST
    Whatever nastiness this man did, his punishment as determined by law was a 21 year sentence, of which he served more than double - 44 years. Garnishing future wages is a regressive action that does nothing to place this man back into society in a productive way. Why would this man decide to do any work whatsoever if the money was going to be taken from him?

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:47:06 PM EST
    It occurs to me that compensation for the 23 years of excess imprisonment outweighs the $100K in court costs, and even if the state can't be compelled to pay the former and granting, arguendo, that he ought to pay the court costs in the absence of the 23 years of excess imprisonment, this is one case where the best interests of justice are served by putting closed to the whole sad affair without trying to find some excuse to add additional punishment.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:50:19 PM EST
    "...but conservates are the hearless ones, right?" Couldn't agree with you more;-)

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 01:56:50 PM EST
    I don't understand the problem here. The guy is guilty and is being asked to pony up the cost of the trial. If he can afford it, he should pay. Compensation for the many extra years he spent in jail, however, should be dealt with completely seperately and, in my opinion, should easily cover the court costs he's expected to pay.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 02:15:21 PM EST
    This is a human rights outrage! how can that low life judge rat do that to this guy? "because he can" i hope people see this total masness for what is is, butt coveing for the system of total evil injustice, are we in saddams country? and what would happen to this poor guy if he did not pay, 50 years in prison? i hope the lawyer attacks the system with one million lawsuits, the guy needs 21 million from the system to pay for this outrage of jusrice.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 02:47:17 PM EST
    I don't do criminal law, so I know none of this, but can someone give me a reason why this doesn't violate the ex post facto clause? I mean, they increased the sentence after he'd not only been convicted, but served his time, right?

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 02:49:28 PM EST
    'cause it's not a law, just a judgement.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 03:26:27 PM EST
    come on paul gowder we don't live in a land of laws but in a land of politically rulings, the fact is we are now living in the ideals of the third reich, and the full break up of the ideals of laws and rules, for the reasons of one world. I hope i make a good showing when the rats come for me. Hitler Received 92 percent of the vote, and all the judges were on his side...justice a dead idea, bush the new ideals of the new deal.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 05:13:55 PM EST
    Phoenix Rising - What makes you think we care what happens to him? He was a stone cold killer who should have been executed. And to show you what many of us may now be thinking of the "law," he escaped while Terri S didn't. Fred D - When I read your comments I never know if I should laugh, cry, or make some snarky comment about you. Consider yourself snarked.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 05:26:49 PM EST
    do both i am having fun,ppj

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 06:23:03 PM EST
    ...of which he served more than double - 44 years.
    you know, sh*t happens, especially in prison!

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 06:49:20 PM EST
    Fred - Good hunting.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#15)
    by Johnny on Wed Mar 23, 2005 at 08:48:16 PM EST
    So what part of a jury of his peers does Jim not understand? If they decided he was not guilty of a capital offense, live with it. He served more than twice the time he was supposed to, albeit through a retrial, and 100K in court costs is a slap. Just because you do not agree with his sentence, does not make it wrong. Snark away Jim, it is really your forte...

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 24, 2005 at 05:46:04 AM EST
    Johnny - What part of - "accepting but disliking" - don't you understand? Live with that.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#17)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 24, 2005 at 12:16:25 PM EST
    The real outrage here is that the story of this stone-cold murderer is listed under the "Innocence Cases" topic.

    Re: Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Cos (none / 0) (#18)
    by jondee on Thu Mar 24, 2005 at 12:38:04 PM EST
    People change,"deterence"isnt - check the homicide rates in states with high execution rates.But, retribution borders on being a sacrement in the good ole U.S and many killers,oddly enough(not) believe THEYRE serving retribution.

    Freed Inmate Ordered to Pay $100k in Court Costs | 18 comments (18 topical)