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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 14 Juli 2021

Democratic donor’s trial centers on alleged injection fetish

day outside U.S. District vided fatal doses of meth- Buck gave him what he said
Court, said Jasmyne Can- amphetamine to Moore and was meth, but it immobi-
nick, a political strategist who Dean. The defense contends lized him on the floor for
has helped lead the charge to all the men were at Buck’s more than six hours. Buck
bring Buck to justice. Can- apartment under their own told the man to leave, but he
nick and others complained will and Moore and Dean did couldn’t move. When Buck
that Buck escaped prosecu- not die from methamphet- approached him with a buzz-
tion because of wealth, politi- amine. ing power saw, the man said a
cal ties and race. surge of adrenalin drove him
“Many of them appeared to get to his feet and escape.
“Just getting to trial is a vic- be drug addicts by their own Although Dean died in Janu-
tory,” Cannick said Monday, admission,” said defense ary 2019, it wasn’t until Sep-
noting that Buck had already lawyer Ludlow B. Creary II. tember of that year that Buck
spent nearly two years in jail “They were living according was arrested after a man over-
awaiting his day in court. to their lifestyle, and Ed Buck dosed twice in one week.
“Who knows who could have did not create their lifestyle.”
(AP) — The men Ed Buck Buck, 66, who has given died in that time.” That alleged victim, Dane
lured to his apartment for more than $500,000 to most- ADVERTISEMENT Brown, told investigators he
“party and play” found ly Democratic politicians Buck, a wealthy white man Neighbors are expected to had been living in a hotel on
themselves in a situation and causes since 2000, has who was active in gay and an- testify to a constant flow of Skid Row when he met Buck
of life and death, prosecu- pleaded not guilty. He faces imal rights issues, exploited men coming and going from on Adam4Adam, a gay dating
tors said. nine felonies that could put vulnerable men — most of Buck’s apartment that only and escort site. He moved
him in prison for life if he’s them Black — paying them ebbed after the deaths before in with Buck for part of the
Two men enticed by the convicted. to come to his home to use eventually picking back up. summer of 2019 and said
promise of drugs for sex drugs and engage in sex play, One neighbor reported to Buck injected him with meth
died. Those who survived The arrest of Buck in 2019 prosecutors said. Many were investigators that Buck told on nearly a daily basis for five
overdoses reported harrow- marked a turning point for destitute drug users who of- him he was a social worker weeks, according to court
ing encounters with a man activists who rallied outside ten worked as prostitutes to helping the men. documents.
bent on injecting them with his West Hollywood apart- support their habit.
methamphetamine and slip- ment and pressured law en- Several men are expected to The second time Brown
ping them other drugs. forcement to act after Gem- “Buck’s preference was to testify about Buck’s “com- overdosed, he asked Buck
mel Moore died on his floor personally inject victims, pulsion to pump drugs into to call an ambulance. When
Nearly two years after Buck in 2017. Even after Timothy and he pressured or incen- others regardless of the con- Buck refused, Brown said he
was arrested and charged Dean died 18 months later, tivized victims to let him do sequences,” prosecutors said. left the apartment and called
by federal prosecutors, the it took another nine months so, sometimes offering large 911 from a nearby gas station
wealthy Democratic donor and the near-death of another cash bonuses to coerce a vic- Some told investigators they and was taken to a hospital.
is going on trial Tuesday on overdose victim before Buck tim to agree to an injection or believe Buck gave them the
charges of providing fatal was finally arrested in Sep- additional injections,” pros- powerful sedative known as Prosecutors said Brown was
doses to two men, running tember 2019. ecutors said in court papers. the date-rape drug, which left lucky to survive. He is ex-
a drug den and persuading “Other times, Buck simply them unconscious. pected to testify at trial, pro-
others to travel for prostitu- Family members of Moore, injected victims while they viding a first-hand account
tion. 26, and Dean, 55, plan to were unconscious.” One man, who said he was that neither Moore nor Dean
speak before the trial Tues- Prosecutors claim Buck pro- paid $300 as an escort, said lived to tell.

Judge OKs $73M payout to alleged UCLA doctor sex victims

(AP) — A federal judge former patients had made al- He has denied wrongdoing.
on Monday gave final ap- legations or filed individual In March, UCLA’s cross-
proval to a $73 million set- lawsuits, but the class-action town rival, the University of
tlement of a lawsuit that suit includes all potential vic- Southern California, agreed
alleged some 6,000 women tims. Each will receive be- to an $852 million settlement
were sexually abused by a tween $2,500 and $250,000, with more than 700 women
former University of Cali- with the higher amounts in- who accused its longtime
fornia, Los Angeles gyne- volving the extent of bodily campus gynecologist of sex-
cologist. injury and emotional distress ual abuse.
as decided by a panel of ex-
The 2019 class-action suit perts. That agreement is believed to
involved allegations that be a record amount for such
from 1983 to 2018, Dr. James UCLA didn’t acknowledge a case. It dwarfs the $500 mil-
Heaps groped women, sim- wrongdoing in reaching the lion that Michigan State Uni-
ulated intercourse with an settlement last year, but the versity agreed to pay in 2018
ultrasound probe or made university did agree to change to settle claims against sports
inappropriate comments its procedures for preventing, doctor Larry Nassar.
during examinations at the identifying, investigating and
UCLA student health center, dealing with sexual miscon- When combined with a
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medi- duct. That included requir- $215 million settlement of
cal Center or his on-campus ing a trained chaperone to a separate class-action suit,
office. be present during intimate USC agreed to pay out over
physical examinations of pa- remain committed to provid- retired in 2018 when the uni- $1 billion for claims against
The suit also accused UCLA tients age 8 or older unless ing quality care that respects versity declined to renew his 74-year-old Dr. George
of failing to take action they opt out. the dignity of every patient,” contract. Tyndall, who worked at the
against Heaps despite com- said a statement from UCLA school for nearly 30 years.
plaints and of having a “pol- “While we can’t comment on Health. Heaps, 64, also faces 21 crim-
icy of indifference” to reports the specifics of today’s legal inal charges of sexual abuse Tyndall faces 35 criminal
of sexual misconduct. action, we can say unequivo- The university has said its offenses involving seven counts of sexual misconduct
cally that sexual misconduct investigation into Heaps be- women. between 2009 and 2016. He
More than 100 of Heaps’ or abuse is inexcusable. We gan in December 2017. He has pleaded not guilty.