85 new child sex abuse suits filed against Maryland juvenile detention system, firm says
BALTIMORE — Dozens more child sex abuse claims were filed against the state Thursday, according to a law firm, adding to the thousands of lawsuits alleging misconduct in Maryland's juvenile detention facilities.
In a statement posted online, the New York-based firm Levy Konigsberg said with the 85 complaints initiated last week, their organization has put forward more than 650 cases against the state Department of Juvenile Services alone. The accusations, they said, span decades, from the 1970s through 2018.
'It is both appalling and disappointing to our clients that the State of Maryland has refused to take any responsibility for this horrific sexual abuse,' Levy Konigsberg partner Jerome Block said in a statement.
Monday's lawsuits were filed during a five-week legal crunch before newly approved caps on child sex abuse claims take effect in Maryland. The caps, proposed in response to a $3.3 billion deficit in the state's budget, will cut the compensation possible for victims by more than half.
Starting June 1, damages on claims against the state will max out at $400,000, dropping from $890,000. And claims against private institutions will hit a $700,000 ceiling, as opposed to $1.15 million.
The deadline has forced many lawyers and firms to question whether they'll be able to take on similar claims in the future. Several have said between the cost to investigate and the mandated reduction in their fees, they cannot. Others also worry that the strain of a civil suit, compared to smaller compensation, will discourage victims from coming forward.
'Instead of supporting survivors, the State has callously attempted to revoke vested rights provided by the Maryland Child Victims Act,' Konigsberg said. 'These survivors will not be ignored, they will not be silenced, and they will not allow unconstitutional tort reform efforts stop them from obtaining full justice and accountability.'
The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services was not immediately available for comment Monday.
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