Speaking of illegal immigrants...

[moosmom]

Man acquitted of molesting girl wins right to identify parents

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A man acquitted of molesting a girl at a Bridgeport synagogue has won the right to identify her parents in a lawsuit accusing them of making false sexual abuse allegations against him, his attorney said Monday.

Alfredo Vargas, a 69-year-old handyman, spent about five years in prison before he was acquitted in January in a second trial.

Weeks before he was acquitted, the parents of the girl won a settlement that gave them the synagogue that Vargas had built by hand, temple leaders say. Vargas, an illegal immigrant from Nicaragua, was deported.

When Vargas sued the parents, they sought to have the entire court record sealed to protect the girl. A Superior Court judge in Bridgeport agreed to replace the parents' names with pseudonyms.

The Connecticut Appellate Court last week turned down a bid by the parents to reconsider its decision in June rejecting the use of pseudonyms, Max Rosenberg, an attorney for Vargas, said Monday.

Attorneys for Vargas say the parents have accused others of sexual abuse as well, but the court order sealing their names might prevent additional people from coming forward.

"I'm very, very happy," Rosenberg said. "I think the court understands the situation here and realizes the threat to the general public that these people present."

Rosenberg identified the parents as Andrew LaBella and Cheryl Hoppenstein.

A telephone message was left Monday with Max Brunswick, their attorney.

The case is establishing standards for when court cases can proceed with pseudonyms, Rosenberg said.

"We're really defining what elements need to occur in order to have the benefit of anonymity or pseudonyms," Rosenberg said.

Brunswick has said the court order was appropriate to protect the girl's privacy and called the lawsuit a retaliation for the settlement.

In his lawsuit, Vargas cites affidavits from a rabbi and another family who say the same parents made sexual abuse accusations against their children, though no one else was prosecuted.

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My question is, "Gee, I wonder who paid for this ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT'S legal defense?????

[jackie]

My question is, "Gee, I wonder who paid for this ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT'S legal defense?????

Ok, let me get this straight, A man was wrongly accused of molesting a girl and spent five years in prison for it, and you are angry that the government may have paid for his legal defense?

I don't know if I am missing something, but the only thing that outrages me about this story is an innocent man spent five years in prison.

[moosmom]

you are angry that the government may have paid for his legal defense?

Yup. He was in this country ILLEGALLY. That's only MY opinion though.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, if he hadn't snuck into this country illegally, he wouldn't have gotten himself into this mess, eh?

[Cataholic]

And, the vote goes to JACKIE! MOFF- I don't know if your comment was tongue in cheek, or not, and, of course, it isn't my business to know. But, if one's thought process after reading that article centers on the illegal v. legal arrgument, I have an issue or two with that.


I gotta say after reading this article, I only thought, wow, poor man. 5 years is a long time to waste away in anyone's jail. Your own country's jail, a foreign country's jail, doesn't seem to make much difference.

[sparks19]

Well I'm pretty sure being an illegal immigrant is a crime so really he wasn't in jail for nothing

[Cataholic]

Well I'm pretty sure being an illegal immigrant is a crime so really he wasn't in jail for nothing

Deep breathes now....have you ever heard that ole "punishment fits the crime" theory kicked about?

[sparks19]

well really now everyone is appalled that a criminal was in jail. It sucks that innocent people get put in jail and it happens too often but this was not just some innocent person, he really WAS a criminal in a sense. I'm sorry but I just can't feel sorry for illegal immigrants. Like I said it sucks that he went to jail when he was innocent of one particular crime, however he was guilty of another crime and now our tax dollars are paying for yet another illegal immigrant.

[K9soul]

If he was being brought up on charges for being an illegal immigrant then being deported would have been appropriate enough (not spending 5 years in prison for it). If this girl's parents are really running around accusing multiple people of abuse just to get money in lawsuits, that is far more sickening to me than the fact that the man was an illegal immigrant and that the govt may have paid for his defense. Just my opinion.

[sparks19]

I agree that it is sick what people will do.

but again in my opinion he shouldn't have been here in the first place.

if it is proven that these people are wrongfully accusing other of assault then I hope they get what is coming to them. but I think he should seek out his government to foot the bill for him.

[Lady's Human]

If he was merely being prosecuted for being an illegal immigrant, fine, deport him and that should be the end of it.

If he was wrongfully prosecuted (as would seem to be the case for the crime he was in jail for) he should be able to sue. If false statements were made to indict him, then the state should go after the accusers for legal costs.

[sparks19]

[QUOTE=Lady's Human]If he was merely being prosecuted for being an illegal immigrant, fine, deport him and that should be the end of it.

If he was wrongfully prosecuted (as would seem to be the case for the crime he was in jail for) he should be able to sue. If false statements were made to indict him, then the state should go after the accusers for legal costs.[/QUOTE]


That is a good point but then I think it should just be included in the money they have to pay if he wins.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Let me see if I can explain this a bit: What happened was awful and shouldn't have happened BUT if he hadn't been where he wasn't supposed to be none of it would have happened. People do have some responsibilites for themselves after all.

It's like say there was a drug deal going down across from a bank that was being robbed and one of the drug dealers got caught but was accused of being a bank robber instead of a dealer. If all parties involved had been obeying the law in the first place no one would be in jail.

Have I missed the boat totally?
Not meaning to offend anyone, just my line of thought.

[JenBKR]

I just think it's really sad that these parents are putting their daughter in the middle of a bunch of molestation cases. She is going to be one messed up adult someday.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I just think it's really sad that these parents are putting their daughter in the middle of a bunch of molestation cases. She is going to be one messed up adult someday.

Now this, I can totally agree with!!! Poor kid!!!