There is good news in the Brian Banks story. Banks was a Long Beach high school football standout who was accused of rape in 2002 and spent more than five years in prison before his conviction was overturned. He has since signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
Now, according to the Long Beach Press Telegram and other outlets, a judge has ordered his accuser, Wanetta, to pay $2.6 million to the Long Beach Unified School District. The district had paid her a settlement after she filed a lawsuit following the accusation. Reports say the judgment covers repayment of that settlement along with punitive damages, attorney fees and interest.
The accusation unraveled after Wanetta later admitted she had made it up, and Banks was freed. The ruling lets the district try to recover the money through her future wages and property.
Banks’ comeback has been one of the best stories of the year, and this ruling adds another chapter.
