David Gorcyca
Money certainly can't make all the awful memories go away. But it's meant to offer some form of compensation.
Ronelle Grier of The Oakland Press writes that an Oakland County Circuit Court jury on Thursday awarded $3 million to “Tali” Thal and Julian Wendrow of West Bloomfield in a lawsuit against three former Oakland County prosecutors for defamation and violation of their civil rights when the parents were falsely accused of sexually abusing their autistic and non-verbal daughter, Aislinn, in 2007.
The paper writes:
The verdict included $1 million for defamatory remarks made by former prosecutor David Gorcyca and $2 million against former chief assistant prosecutor Deborah Carley, for illegal “seizure” of Ian Wendrow, who was 13 when he was removed from his classroom and questioned without the presence of a guardian or attorney.
The family was separated for three months before the charges against the Wendrows, which included various felony counts of child sexual abuse, were dropped. Julian spent 80 days in jail, Tali was placed on a tether, and the two children were housed in institutional foster care facilities.
“We’re very pleased (with the verdict),” said the Wendrows’ attorney Deborah Gordon. “We feel the family has been vindicated by the jury, who represents the community.”
In closing arguments, Gordon said prosecutors showed “reckless indifference” by pursuing the charges and by making false statements to the media even after the case was dropped.
