CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The years-long battle to secure justice and accountability for the murder of Brandon Teena--a transgendered 21-year-old who was brutally raped and then killed by his rapists after law enforcement officials failed to intervene--reaches the Nebraska supreme court for the second time Tuesday, when justices will hear arguments over financial damages awarded to the victim's mother. "It's tragic when any parent loses a child to violent crime, but when that crime could have been avoided had law enforcement done its job instead of reacting with hate toward the victim, it becomes an outrage," said David S. Buckel, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund senior staff attorney representing JoAnn Brandon in the case. "Brandon Teena was devalued as a human being by his murderers. We can't let law enforcement get away with doing the same thing." The state supreme court ruled last year in favor of JoAnn Brandon, the mother of Brandon Teena, holding Richardson County sheriff Charles Laux accountable for his failure to protect Teena. A lower court had shifted most of the responsibility away from the sheriff--finding Teena partly responsible for his own death--and had awarded minimal damages to JoAnn Brandon. The Nebraska supreme court ruling sent the case back to the lower court for a reassessment. Even though the supreme court had ruled unanimously that the minimal damages awarded to JoAnn Brandon "shocks the conscience," the lower court recently awarded just $7,000 for the emotional distress suffered by Teena before his death and just $5,000--less than even the funeral expenses--for the loss to the mother. Tuesday's arguments mark the third time the case has been appealed.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Ron DeSantis and Disney reach settlement in suit over governing control
March 27 2024 6:10 PM
LGBTQ+ women face more challenges than men in running for office: report
March 27 2024 5:33 PM
Houthis sentence 9 men to death on dubious 'sodomy' charges in Yemen
March 27 2024 2:39 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedBreaking boundaries in gender-free fashion with Stuzo Clothing
March 27 2024 2:15 PM
Nex Benedict's autopsy report released
March 27 2024 1:00 PM
Meta is failing its LGBTQ+ users, says new GLAAD report
March 27 2024 12:24 PM
79% of American workers say anti-LGBTQ+ laws impact where they move: report
March 27 2024 11:41 AM
Plus
Yahoo FeedInjectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 10:45 PM
Ronna McDaniel, tied up by her Trump lies, drowns in an aquarium of her own making
March 26 2024 9:00 PM
The ultimate guide to cannabis in Provincetown
March 26 2024 6:40 PM