Federal judge dismisses Tulsa race riot case

<br>(Tulsa-AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race riot can't seek reparations in court. <br><br>US Senior District Judge James Ellison dismissed the lawsuit filed last

Monday, March 22nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tulsa-AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race riot can't seek reparations in court.

US Senior District Judge James Ellison dismissed the lawsuit filed last year against Tulsa and Oklahoma because the statute of limitations expired 80 years ago.

A 150 survivors and about 300 descendants of those who lost property or their lives in the riot had filed the lawsuit.

Ellison called the riot a ``tragedy'' that caused ``terrible devastation.''

Assistant City Attorney Larry Simmons says Ellison indulged suggestions from plaintiffs, but Ellison still couldn't find a way around the time limit for filing civil lawsuits.

The survivors and victims' descendants alleged the statute of limitations didn't apply because they didn't have the information to bring their suit until a report on the riot was published in 2001.

The fighting broke out in 1921 after whites and blacks clashed outside a courthouse where a black man was being held on allegations of assaulting a white woman.

The confirmed death toll was 37, but some estimates range as high as 300.