Sonnenschein Wins Unprecedented Settlement for Three Haitian Women in High-Profile Pro Bono Case
Our firm has won a major pro bono victory in a case against Emmanuel �Toto� Constant and his brutal death squad, the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti, or FRAPH. Through Ivor Samson�s outstanding leadership, the firm has helped secure $15 million in punitive and $4 million in compensatory damages for three women who survived torture and rape committed during Constant�s regime. U.S. District Court Judge Sidney H. Stein, of the Southern District of New York, awarded the damages on October 24. Ivor argued in his closing that in addition to compensatory damages, the court should also award punitive damages to punish Toto Constant for his wanton, oppressive and malicious actions.
The Court previously found Constant liable for torture, including rape, attempted extrajudicial killing, and crimes against humanity carried out as part of FRAPH�s reign of terror during the period of military rule in Haiti from 1991 to 1994. Constant has been living in New York since 1994 and the court�s judgment, entered August 16, marks the first time anyone has been held accountable for the state sponsored campaign of rape and torture in Haiti. In an article published by the East Bay Express, Ivor notes, �This is one of the few opportunities one gets to really represent people that have been really been injured and hurt, and on the other side, you�ve got somebody who�s done some really terrible things. It�s a real opportunity to wear the white hat.�
This case would not have come to us without the initiative of Jessica Woelfel. Jessica learned of it through a relationship with a staff attorney at the Center for Justice and Accountability. She took a leading role in working with witnesses, preparing pleadings and presenting expert testimony at trial. Meeghan Buckley also assisted with the briefing, while Chris Sisneros reviewed and organized the documentary evidence. Throughout the process, Alex Janvier, who speaks Creole, assisted our clients in countless ways.
Click here to read the write-up of this case in East Bay Express.
Click here to read the press release from The Center for Justice & Accountability.
