A judge has cut from $100 million to $10 million the punitive damages portion of an unusual verdict in a lawsuit arising from Kristin Rossum’s alleged murder by poison of her husband, Gregory de Villers. The distinctive feature of the verdict, on which we commented Mar. 27, was that the jury assigned 25 percent responsibility for the murder to Rossum’s employer, San Diego County, which employed her as a toxicologist and was said to be blameworthy for letting her steal drugs which she administered to him. (“Judge Cuts $90 Million in Damages in San Diego Murder Case”, AP/L.A. Times, Jun. 19)(via Childs).
Update: San Diego poisoning
A judge has cut from $100 million to $10 million the punitive damages portion of an unusual verdict in a lawsuit arising from Kristin Rossum’s alleged murder by poison of her husband, Gregory de Villers. The distinctive feature of the verdict, on which we commented Mar. 27, was that the jury assigned 25 percent responsibility […]
One Comment
It’s funny to see these numbers thrown around, when the De Villers could wind up with only a few hundred thousand dollars, if that.
I assume Ms. Rossum doesn’t have any money or realistic earning potential.
The county has appealed. Does anyone know the legal issues around this case? How predictable is the outcome upon appeal? It’s just an ignorant first impression, but this case seems like a stretch (I’m not sure I see causation/duty) and it could fail upon appeal.
If it is a risky appeal, the De Villers may simply wind up settling for a few hundred thousand dollars.
The plaintiff’s attorney seems like a decent person http://www.thegomezfirm.com