Some attorneys are furious with Governor Newsom's decision to veto a bill that would have given victims who say they were raped in juvenile facilities as a child more time to sue.
L.A. County officials opposed the bill, which would open a one-year window within the statute of limitations, as they deal with accusations from thousands of people claiming they ignored a major child sex abuse scandal involving juvenile detention and probation boot camps operated by the county.
Attorney John Manley, who represents many of the victims, says the governor caved to union pressure when he vetoed this measure, calling it a "full protection act" for rapists and those who enable them.
"You say, 'Well, you know, it's going to cost us a lot of money because we raped kids.' I don't care, and frankly, I don't think most juries would care, and the governor shouldn't care," Manley told KNX News' Karen Adams.
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Manley said all the victims deserve their day in court and should be compensated for the traumatic acts they endured while in custody as children. "This was supposed to put them on the straight and narrow. It was supposed to help them, and instead, they put them with these vile men who raped them," he said.
While he is appalled by Newsom's decision to veto, Manley said because Republicans and Democrats alike in the legislature agreed on this bill, he is hopeful they will choose to override the governor.
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