By Tony Ogden
The Daily Record Newswire
BOSTON, MA — 1. Quirky trial leads to record $370M defamation verdict
Choi v. Marciano
Defamation
July 28, 2009, California
After a bizarre trial, a Los Angeles jury awarded a record defamation verdict of $370 million, including $25 million in punitive damages, to five former employees of Guess Jeans mogul Georges Marciano.
Status: The plaintiffs stipulated to reductions of the verdicts. The defendant has appealed the judgments entered against him and filed his opening brief.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys: R. Rex Parris of The R. Rex Parris Law Firm in Lancaster, Calif.; David Wheeler of Wheeler & Sheehan in Westlake Village, Calif.; James Nevin of Brayton & Purcell in Novato, Calif.; Reeve Segal of Cozen O’Connor in Los Angeles; Alain Bonavida in Beverly Hills, Calif.; Cheryl Deptowicz-Diaz in Los Angeles.
Defense attorneys: Not permitted to make appearance, with the exception of making objections based on privilege only.
2. Florida jury awards mother $330 million in DUI fatality
Stone v. Marcone
Wrongful death
Sept. 30, 2009, Florida
Jurors in Florida needed less than an hour to award $330 million to the mother of a 13-year-old killed in a drunken driving accident in April 2007.
Status: The defendant is serving a prison sentence, making the verdict uncollectible. An additional case over the same death is ongoing against Kia Motors.
Plaintiff’s attorneys: C. Steven Yerrid and David Dickey of The Yerrid Law Firm in Tampa, Fla.
Defense attorney: Bryan Reynolds of Reynolds & Stowell in St. Petersburg, Fla.
3. $300 million record-setting tobacco verdict
Naugle v. Philip Morris USA
Negligence, failure to warn
Nov. 19, 2009, Florida
In the tenth Engle case, jurors needed just three hours of deliberations to charge Philip Morris with a $300 million award in favor of a Florida man suffering from severe emphysema.
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