LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-02 AT 06:32 PM (EST)
 
"Thomas suit settled"


Ramseys settle suit with Thomas - announced August 10, 2002

The civil lawsuit brought by the Ramseys against former Boulder Police Detective Steve Thomas was
dismissed Wednesday. The case, in which the couple sought $80 million for defamation and libel, was
settled for an undisclosed amount in May. The lawsuit was resolved with Thomas, co-writer Don Davis
and St. Martin's Press, the publishing company.

"(The Ramseys) are not going to sit back and allow themselves and their family to be attacked -
period. Those days are over," said Atlanta attorney Lin Wood.

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1. "The letter from Thomas"
In response to message #0


A Letter From Steve Thomas

The frivolous lawsuit filed by the Ramseys has concluded.

I am sorry for the delay in making a public statement until now, but the Ramsey announcement of a
resolution in March was
premature.

I am bound by the terms of the settlement not to discuss its conclusive points but I can tell you this:
it was a thoughtful, deliberate
decision. For the record, I was not the one who sought out a settlement in this case.

My absolute requirement for any resolution was the mandate that I would admit no wrongdoing
whatsoever, nor would I personally
pay a single dollar in settlement. And that is exactly what was achieved with this resolution. In fact,
the book can continue to be
published, advertised, quoted, and marketed. I will continue to speak on the case whenever I wish. I
continue to stand resolutely by
my book and the opinions I expressed in it. My beliefs have not changed.

The reality was this: I was well within my Constitutional rights to have stated my opinion regarding the
events surrounding this
murder. But this was a civil case. It was about money. Justice and "doing the right thing" do not
always prevail in these cases, as
we all know.

On the other hand, we would have enjoyed deposing and taking people in front of a jury, and
discovering the truth. Unfortunately,
financial constraints continued to prohibit this, as I was in no position to take on the Ramseys' wealth.
In fact, I lost my house and
savings during this struggle.

After almost 6 years, I can now look forward to a much brighter future. I continue to receive a warm
welcome and tremendous
support from police around the country. Although I miss police work, and have had invitations to
re-join law enforcement, I have
respectfully declined. I am taking my life in a new direction and am enjoying it with people I care
about.

Again, I want to reiterate that I personally paid not one red cent, not one thin dime, not one single
dollar to settle this suit. I tried to
the very end to take a principled position in this tragic case, and I believe I have done so.

The future still holds hope that true justice for the murderer of an innocent girl will prevail. As I
mentioned Proverbs 28:13 on Larry
King Live, I still believe -- "without confession there is no forgiveness".

Please know how forever grateful I am to you for supporting me throughout this ordeal. I can tell you
that there are no finer men
than Daniel Petrocelli and Chuck Diamond, who supported me unequivocally. Perhaps this knowledge
and explanation is some
small consolation for your support and dedication in helping me with this fight.

Prior to my resignation in 1998, a man whom I admire greatly shared a famous quote with me: "It is a
sin to remain silent, when it's
your duty to protest."

Wise words about those who whistle-blow also proved true in the subsequent fight -- "You will feel
isolated and vilified, but
ultimately you will know what you did was right. Nothing can diminish that knowledge."

Steve Thomas
6 August 2002

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jameson
Member since 5-8-02
08-23-02, 06:33 PM (EST)

2. "BN story"
In response to message #1


http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/city_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2422_1338472,00.html

Thomas denies paying Ramseys
Former detective says he admitted no wrongdoing in settling libel case

By Matt Sebastian, Camera Staff Writer
August 21, 2002

Former detective Steve Thomas insists he did not pay "one red cent" to settle a
libel lawsuit brought by John and Patsy Ramsey, according to a letter sent to
supporters on what would have been JonBenet Ramsey's 12th birthday.

In the letter, authenticated by a friend of Thomas', the retired Boulder police
detective wrote that he admitted no wrongdoing in settling the lawsuit over his
book, "JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation."

"I personally paid not one red cent, not one thin dime, not one single dollar to
settle this suit," Thomas wrote in the letter, dated Aug. 6, the day before the case
was formally dismissed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

Thomas, who couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday, agreed in March to settle
the lawsuit, which originally sought $80 million from the detective, his co-author
and publisher St. Martin's Press.

Although the terms of the settlement remain confidential, Ramsey attorney L. Lin
Wood on Tuesday said the lawsuit was resolved with "a significant payment made
on Steve Thomas' behalf."

"John and Patsy Ramsey were satisfied that the case was settled in their favor
when it was ensured that Steve Thomas won't profit off a book about the death of
their daughter," Wood said.

The Ramseys sued Thomas in March 2001, alleging the former detective libeled the
couple by falsely accusing them in his book of killing their 6-year-old daughter on
Christmas night 1996.

Boulder police have never arrested anyone in connection with JonBenet's slaying.

Thomas' letter, mailed to supporters who contributed to his legal fund, was posted
on the Internet this week at www.forstevethomas.com.

Tricia Griffith, the Web site's owner, identified herself as a friend of Thomas' and
said she was among the supporters who received the letter that is posted on the
site.

"I can assure you it's authentic," said Griffith, a Utah resident.

Thomas, in the letter, defended his book and said he had looked forward to trying
the case in front of a jury and "discovering the truth."

"Unfortunately, financial constraints continued to prohibit this, and I was in no
position to take on the Ramseys' wealth," Thomas wrote. "In fact, I lost my house
and savings during this struggle."

None of Thomas' three attorneys returned phone calls seeking comment from the
Daily Camera. Representatives of St. Martin's Press also could not be reached.

Wood, who has won settlements for the Ramseys from a number of media
organizations, said Thomas is simply trying to save face with his legion of fans on
the Internet.

"Steve Thomas lost this case," Wood said. "The Ramseys won this case, and he can
spin it any way he wants to. The bottom line is he won't profit off that book."

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Dave
Member since 5-8-02
08-26-02, 00:37 AM (EST)

3. "RE: The letter from Thomas"
In response to message #1


I appears that ST is misquoting Abraham Lincoln, but I'm unable to verify that even this particular
quote is accurate:

"It is a sin to remain silent when it is your duty to speak up." <1>

However, I believe that a much more appropriate quotation from Lincoln, considering that this is ST
we're talking about, is:

"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." <2>

<1>
http://www.teacherssavingchildren.org/national/unionoptions.html

<2> Robert I. Fitzhenry, Editor. The Harper Book of Quotations. Third edition, HarperPerennial,
1993, page 19.

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jameson
Member since 5-8-02
08-26-02, 08:06 AM (EST)

4. "Banning Thomas' book"
In response to message #3


The flamers are saying that the Ramseys didn't win their lawsuit against Thomas - - their
reasoning is that even if he signed an agreement and they made a deposit into their bank
account, he still has his book out there and people can buy it.

That is true - - his book will always be out there - - the US government has NEVER gone into our
homes and removed a book. Many books are the subject of libel suits and they are NOT removed
from the book stores. Just isn't done.

I only know of ONE CASE where a book was removed from the market - - and that was a
situation where national security was involved.

If anyone else can cite where a book was "unpublished" and recalled, PLEASE do share that with
us.

This POV that seems to fill the BORG sites is really assinine.

Steve Thomas lost his suit - - The Ramseys won. His book remains out there - but anyone
paying attention will understand he libeled people in it - - and paid for that.

(Yes, the insurance company paid the ramseys directly, but Thomas himself says he lost his
house and life savings fighting the battle. To me that is losing.)