Criminal Enterprise Blackwater now suing the attorneys of family members of slain employees?

[marmar]

Have you no decency, sirs?


Blackwater seeks $10M from plaintiffs in wrongful-death suit
MIKE BAKER
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. - Private security contractor Blackwater USA is seeking $10 million from the attorney representing the estates of four employees killed and mutilated in Iraq, arguing their families breached the security guards' contracts by suing the company for wrongful death.

Blackwater has also asked a federal court to move the dispute into arbitration, having failed so far in its ongoing efforts to have the lawsuit dismissed.

Arbitration is necessary "in order to safeguard both (Blackwater's) own confidential information as well as sensitive information implicating the interest of the United States at war," attorneys for Blackwater Security Consulting, a unit of Moyock-based Blackwater USA, wrote in a petition filed December 20.

Dan Callahan, a California-based attorney representing the families, called the claim "appalling."

"This is a shock-and-awe tactic," Callahan said Friday. Blackwater's attorneys declined to comment.

The four families, represented by estates administrator Richard Nordan, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater in January 2005 in state court. Family members argue Blackwater broke contractual obligations and used cost-saving measures that ultimately led to the deaths of the four men.

Blackwater's counterclaim for $10 million specifically names Nordan and not the estates or the men's families.

"The $10 million is a scare tactic," said Katy Helvenston, mother of Scott Helvenston, one of the dead Blackwater employees. "I'm not concerned about that at all because the whole thing's a farce. It's just another excuse to delay."

A frenzied mob of insurgents ambushed Helvenston, Jerko "Jerry" Zovko, Wesley J.K. Batalona, and Michael R. Teague in March 2004 as they escorted a supply convoy through Fallujah, Iraq. The insurgents burned and mutilated the guards and strung two of the bodies from a bridge.

The gruesome scene, caught on camera and broadcast worldwide, prompted the U.S. military to launch a three-week siege of the restive city west of Baghdad.

Blackwater has unsuccessfully tried to dismiss or stay the lawsuit, arguing that the company's work is an extension of the military and therefore falls outside the jurisdiction of a domestic court. The company has appealed in several state and federal courts, reaching U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in October. ......(more)

The rest of the story is at: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/16502469.htm

[Solon]

1. I am not a lawyer, but I thought only the signee is obligated to follow the contract...

Unless these employees' family members signed these contracts themselves, they are NOT bound by them, at least one would think.

[Solo_in_MD]

4. It probably has a release from liability clause

which is more common than you might think.

[Wizard777]

5. The estate may be obligated. But the deceased cannot waive rights of others.

Blackwater and Aegis are running rough shot over military commanders. They may even be one of the "contractors" that ran rough shot over the Abu Ghraib Commanders. The other problem is that Blackwater and Aegis maybe commiting war crimes. But unlike our soldiers. They aren't being prosecuted for them. They have complaints and no contractor prosecutions. Maybe 1 at the very most. I definately against the privatization of the Pentagon. You know the republicans will out source our national defense if that happens.

[alarimer]

2. This is one fucking EVIL company

Read the Nation's coverage of this story. And about the actions as private police in N.O. for the wealthy.

[zbdent]

3. I thought that Repukes though life was precious ...