Attorneys for the owners of the E2 nightclub held a news conference Thursday in light of the recent reversal of their clients’ criminal conviction. They said the appellate court’s decision validated their assertion that their clients were the city’s scapegoats. Twenty-one people were crushed during the 2003 tragedy, so of course many people wanted answers and closure. 

“We are disappointed with the court’s decision,” the city’s law department said. “In our view, respondents violated a clear and mandatory court order, and but for that violation no one would have died or been injured at their club that night. We are continuing to review the court’s opinion to determine whether to seek further review.”

Assessing the responsibility, be it criminal or civil, is often a complicated issue. Torreya Hamilton, a former member of city’s law department, joined Eight Forty-Eight to help unpack the legal implications and understand how the city manages legal matters.