They only tied someone to multiple crimes they didn't commit because they didn't do their due diligence. I'm not against the lawsuit, in the slightest. To link to a single article and trying to use it as a blanket piece of information to pose a much broader question is just silly though.
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Have you ever received a summons? Depending on the type (or perhaps it the court?) they can either come in the mail or delivered via sheriff. Obviously being deliver via sheriff would be a tad telling but yea...
If you got any piece of mail from a place you have no link to, do you not inherently believe it's bogus? If you got a piece of mail from what looked like a court in a state you have no link to, would you not imagine it was misaddressed or something? Why would that be on >ME< to tell them it's not me. Did the court and law enforcement do anything wrong? Absolutely not, but the fact remains.
I can't fault the guy in the slightest for not acting on it.
As for the 50k figure, nah, he just has to get any competent lawyer and dr saying he has a ton of emotional issues now, it ruined his good name, etc, etc, etc.