Cali's Killer Pension
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., the accused murderer in the now-infamous "grim sleeper" serial killings, has collected over $300,000 from the California state pension system. The former state sanitation worker began collecting his pension after injuring his shoulder while on the job. Even if convicted of these gruesome murders, Franklin will continue to collect his monthly pension checks. Today on Varney & Co. FOX News Legal Analyst, Bob Massi weighed in on the issue.
Massi confirms that Franklin will continue to receive his pension, even if convicted. "Morally I hate it, but legally I understand it," Massi said. "There's a contract to pay him, and the felony and the conviction of the felony does not negate that pre-existing contract."
Massi also told us that it would be very tough for the state to pull his disability pension payments. "The only thing that could happen here, and it's not going to happen, is that they go in and re-rate this disability," Massi explained. "It's not going to happen, the contract was signed. He's going to get the benefit and the act of the felony is not going to negate it."
Massi says that the ultimate fate of Franklin's pension rest in the hands of the California state legislature. "The only way you get around this in the future," he told us, "somebody has to pass legislation to address the issue."