Original: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110127/articles/110129693
Finally, a judge that got it right! Hooray!
By Matt Tomsic
Matt.Tomsic@StarNewsOnline.com
Published: Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 12:25 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 12:25 p.m.
The victim of a sexual assault was awarded property in Pender County after a judge found her attacker transferred property to his sister to avoid fallout from a lawsuit filed by the victim.
The Pender County civil lawsuit stemmed from a conviction of first-degree aggravated sexual assault in New Jersey, according to court records.
George S. Conklin, 52, sexually assaulted a minor in 2004 and 2005. A year after the assaults, the victim's family filed a civil lawsuit against Conklin to recover damages. In 2009, a New Jersey superior court ruled in favor for the victim, awarding her about $1.5 million for medical costs, punitive damages and compensatory damages. But the victim's family discovered Conklin gave property in Pender County to his sister, Connie Ruth Huffman, six weeks after the family filed the lawsuit in New Jersey.
Conklin deeded the property to Huffman to protect it from any judgment his victim might receive from a lawsuit, according to an affidavit filed during the case.
In 2009, the family filed another lawsuit in Pender County against Conklin and Huffman to recover the property so they could receive their award from the civil lawsuit.
On Jan. 18, a Pender County judge ordered the defendants to give the three lots to the victim's family. The judge also awarded the family a 1990 Oakwood mobile home owned by Huffman. The value of the property and mobile home is more than $74,000.
Matt Tomsic: 343-2070
On Twitter.com: @MattToms
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