Babalu Blog

Justice, a little bit at a time.

The verdict for Mrs. Janet Ray Weininger's lawsuit against fidel castro is in.

Guilty.

Mrs. Weininger was awarded $87 million in punitive and compensatory damages. Janet Ray may never collect the money, obviously, but for her it was never about the money:

Weininger said money was not her main motivation; she sued so the truth would be known about the abuses of Castro's government.

In his summary, Judge Dresnick stated he was "repelled" by the mistreatment of Mr. Ray's body by Cuban ofiicials. Testimony and evidence showed that the American Pilot had been executed by the orders of fidel castro and then for 18 years his body subjected to inhumane treatment. Mr. Ray's body was beaten on, spit on, urinated upon and manipulated for propaganda.

In court, the sobbing daughter of the American Pilot stated that this trial was her legacy. "I am my father's daughter," she said. "I fight for the little guy. For those that can't fight for themselves. Just like my father."

But perhaps her most resonating statement came after the verdict was announced. Asked if she was content that fidel castro had been found guilty of desecrating her father's remains, she stated:

"I tell you when I'll be content. When Cuba's free."

Thank you, Janet. For having sacrificed so much for the freedom of the Cuban people. Some day soon we'll set foot on a free Cuba, and you will have been an integral part of the struggle. And, ultimately, the victory.

UPDATE: The judges opinion can be found here (pdf). Thanks to Tony of Oriental Redneck for the heads up.

Posted by Val Prieto at November 19, 2004 07:33 AM |

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» Castro Trial Update from INDC Journal
A little over two weeks ago, I linked to Val Prieto's post about a court case against Fidel Castro that sought justice for the cold-blooded murder of an American pilot involved in the Bay of Pigs operation. The verdict is... [Read More]

Tracked on November 19, 2004 10:04 AM

» Justice No Longer Delayed from The Laughing Wolf
Val has been keeping us all informed on the status of a lawsuit against Fidel Castro for what happened to a true American. A man who refused to hang people out to dry on the basis of political cowardice. A... [Read More]

Tracked on November 22, 2004 06:46 AM

Comments

Posted by: Kathleen at November 19, 2004 11:16 AM

Posted by: Tony at November 19, 2004 02:20 PM

Posted by: Lyana at November 19, 2004 04:39 PM