Connect with us

New Hampshire

Survivors of YDC abuse call for more state money, as top lawmaker wants audit of fund

Published

on

Survivors of YDC abuse call for more state money, as top lawmaker wants audit of fund


New Hampshire Senate President Sharon Carson is calling for a financial and performance audit of the settlement fund for abuse victims at the state’s youth detention center.

“The financial condition of the YDC fund has sparked deep concern regarding the processes employed to resolve cases and called into doubt whether victims are getting the resources they need,” Carson said in a statement Friday.

Carson’s push for the audit comes as victims of abuse have until June 30 to file claims.

It also followed a vote by top lawmakers Friday to table a request by the YDC fund’s administrator, former Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick, to add $10 million to the fund.

Advertisement

The legislature created the settlement fund in 2022, on the advice of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella. At the time, the fund was seen as a way to help victims while also protecting the state from thousands of potential lawsuits stemming from what has been revealed to be among the biggest youth detention abuse scandals in American history.

The Youth Development Center, an investigative podcast series hosted by Jason Moon that examines how the abuse scandal happened, and how it came to light

To date, the fund has paid out $156 million to around 300 abuse survivors. But hundreds of claims remain outstanding, and Formella has complained recently about how settlements have been paid out.

Survivors call for more state funding

Nearly 30 people whose claims are pending called on lawmakers this week to fully fund the settlement, some saying failing to do so amounts to more abuse from the state. The law firm representing them, Shaheen and Gordon, released the statements ahead of the committee’s meeting Friday.

“It’s another kick in the face,” Joshua Kuhn wrote. “When I was 15-16 years old at YDC, I felt violated like crazy. Now it’s just more violation from the same people who violated me before. They don’t care.”

Advertisement

Several said a settlement is the only justice they will get.

“Everybody should be entitled to equality and equal justice under the law,” wrote Kirk Taylor. “I didn’t get justice with my abuser. He was never criminally charged. He was declared incompetent. He gets to die peacefully at home with his family, but I will never get the justice I deserve.”

One person said they chose a settlement over a lawsuit because it allowed them to remain anonymous.

“I wanted to do different things in life that would have been messed up by this being in the news,” the person wrote. “I was afraid how people would look at me. I would not have come forward if it were not for the settlement fund.”

Several warned lawmakers that retreating from fully supporting the settlement fund would lead to lawsuits that would cost the state even more. A jury awarded one victim $38 million in May, which the state is appealing. Another person settled his lawsuit for $10 million in March but won’t get paid if lawmakers don’t include the money in the budget.

Advertisement

The settlement fund caps awards at $2.5 million, but nearly all have settled for much less, according to Broderick’s latest report.

As of March, nearly 179 of the 296 claims settled for less than $500,000. The report said 115 settled for between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Only two were higher than that.

Most of the newest claims began as lawsuits, Broderick told lawmakers.

“While no amount of compensation could ever undo what happened, I believe some form of restitution or accountability is a small price to pay for a lifetime of suffering,” wrote Robert Hensley, who said he was raped repeatedly while at YDC. He is now in his 70s.

Another person who submitted a statement anonymously warned he will sue if there is no money for a settlement.

Advertisement

“I am a tax payer in this state and it makes no sense to me why the State would instead force us to get even bigger verdicts in court. But if that is what they force me to do then that is what I will do. I’m not going away.”





Source link

New Hampshire

Bank Robber, Sexual Assaulter, With 40-Plus Year Criminal History, Wanted On Parole Violation: NH DOC

Published

on

Bank Robber, Sexual Assaulter, With 40-Plus Year Criminal History, Wanted On Parole Violation: NH DOC


CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Corrections is asking for the public’s help in finding a sex offender and robbery convict, with “violent tendencies,” who is wanted on a parole violation.

Michael J. Wells is 60, white, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs around 150 lbs. He has dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. Officials said Wells sometimes uses the following aliases: “Michael Morris,” “Michael Morse,” and “Michael Kirby.” He has Tasmanian devil, star, moon, and skull tattoos on his right arm and a cross over a skull with a spider web on his left arm.

The warrant against Wells was issued by the New Hampshire Parole Board as well as Manchester police for duty to report, after accusing him of absconding from parole and failing to register as a sex offender.

“In December 1994,” an alert stated, “Wells was convicted of aggravated felonious sexual assault and as a result, is required to register as a Tier III sex offender for the remainder of his life. Wells is currently on Parole Supervision for robbery.”

Advertisement

In December 2018, Wells robbed the Citizens Bank in Manchester, passing a note stating, “I have a gun. No tracking. No dye bag. $20-$50 quickly. No alarm.” In August 2021, he committed the same offense under similar circumstances, officials said, after he was placed on escape status from the Calumet Transitional Housing Unit. He was arrested in Massachusetts a few weeks later.

Wells is known to frequent both Concord and Manchester.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire Department of Corrections and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

Wells criminal history dates back more than four decades, according to superior court records, after he was accused of forgery in Nashua in August 1985. In June 1988, he was convicted on one forgery charge.

Wells was accused of theft in 1990 and he pleaded guilty to the charge a month later.

Advertisement

Wells was accused of bail jumping in February 1989.

In 1994, Wells was accused of aggravated felonious sexual assault, sexual assault, and second-degree assault charges in Nashua. In December 1994, he pleaded guilty to the second-degree assault charge. Wells was found guilty by the court on one aggravated felonious sexual assault charge in January 1996.

Wells was also accused of escape in December 1998.

In 2005 and 2006, more charges were racked up, including four acts prohibited counts in Nashua, a false report to law enforcement, receiving stolen property, two acts prohibited counts in Salem, and forgery in Manchester. Wells was found guilty on two of the drug charges in Salem and the Manchester forgery charge, while the others were nolle prossed.

In April 2019, Wells was convicted on the December 2018 bank robbery charges. He was given a three-and-a-half-to-10-year sentence with 136 days of time served credit and a 10-to-20-year sentence, suspended for 10 years.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

New Hampshire

N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe

Published

on

N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe


One proposal (Senate Bill 627) would generate more than $53 million per year in estimated revenue for turnpike projects by essentially doubling what certain cars pay on the state’s toll roads.

The cash fare for Hampton’s main toll booth on Interstate 95, for example, would jump from $2 to $4 for cars and pickup trucks. The toll wouldn’t increase at all for motorists who use New Hampshire’s E-ZPass transponders.

“Surrounding states already have the same in-state discount structure in place,” Democratic Representative Martin Jack of Nashua wrote on behalf of a House committee that unanimously recommended the bill.

A potential hitch: Governor Kelly Ayotte. She’s expressed opposition to the whole toll-hiking idea, and proven she’s not afraid to use her veto pen.

Advertisement

Modifying civil rights standard

Another proposal (Senate Bill 464) would add a few words to the state’s Civil Rights Act. Instead of addressing conduct that is merely “motivated by” a legally protected characteristic, the proposed revision would address conduct that is “substantially motivated by hostility towards the victim’s” protected characteristic (such as their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability).

The prime sponsor, Republican Senator Daryl Abbas, an attorney, testified the change was small and aligned with the law’s intent. But the attorney who oversees the Civil Rights Unit at the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Sean Locke, testified in opposition, saying the proposal could reduce protections, especially since the meaning of “substantially” is somewhat vague.

Advertisement

The House is also weighing a proposed amendment that would add a few more words than Abbas’s version, potentially narrowing the Civil Rights Act’s applicability a bit further.

Open enrollment for K-12 schools

A third proposal up for a vote on Thursday (Senate Bill 101) would make every K-12 public school in New Hampshire an “open enrollment” school. That way, students could freely choose to transfer to a district other than the one where they live.

The proposed policy is controversial, partly because of how schools are funded. Districts rely mostly on local property taxes to cover their costs, as the state government chips in relatively little, and property tax rates vary widely from one community to the next. That generates concern about who will foot the bill when a student transfers.

In light of those concerns, Republicans are offering a compromise amendment to SB 101 that would require the state to provide more money per pupil that a district receives via open enrollment, as the New Hampshire Bulletin reported. Democrats are offering their own amendment to establish a study commission on this topic, rather than adopt the proposed policy now.

Advertisement

Lawmakers have until May 14 to take action on the bills that came from the other chamber, though they have until June 4 to iron out any discrepancies.

Amanda Gokee of the Globe staff contributed to this report.


This story appears in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free email newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. Sign up here.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Hampshire

Boston MedFlight expands into NH

Published

on

Boston MedFlight expands into NH


Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.

The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.

Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.

“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”

Advertisement

Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.

“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.

Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.

Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.

“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”

Advertisement

Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.

“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.

Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.

“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.

It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.

Advertisement

“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”

Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending