Analysis of Civil Cases against Bishop Eddie Long

By now all of black America is still reeling over the four lawsuits (and still counting) civil cases of misconduct by Bishop Eddie Long, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Inc. and the Longfellows Youth Academy, Inc. Well, here is a pragmatic and logical analysis of the allegations of sexual misconduct alleged against Bishop Eddie Long.

I. Complaints

First Complaint filed by Plaintiff Jamal Parris

Second Complaint (draft) filed by Plaintiff Maurice Robinson

Third Complaint (draft) filed by Plaintiff Anthony Flagg

Fourth Complaint filed by Plaintiff Spencer LeGrande

II. Burden of Proof

Each plaintiff will have to prove the merits of the case by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that each plaintiff has to show the Court (or jury) that it is more likely than not, that the defendant(s) committed the acts alleged in the petition. A comparable percentage that the Plaintiffs must show to win their case is that there is a greater than 51% chance that the defendant(s) did the alleged acts.

Please note that this civil cases' burden of proof is significantly less than in a criminal case.

III. Summary

There are 11 legal acts that the plaintiffs are alleging including punitive damages. The complaints are plead in detail and list specific events with times and dates. If the plaintiffs can show with the evidence they present that the defendants more likely than not did the acts alleged, this will be an uphill battle for the Defendants. Also, there appears to be more lawsuits coming forth against the defendants. I would not be shocked that this action merges into a class action lawsuit.