UPDATED Sept 28, 2020
CHICAGO, Jan. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the space of just one day, a Chicago jury awarded $1,000,000 in compensatory damages and $8,000,000 in punitive damages to a Chicago woman, in her case against a wealthy Chicago insurance executive, for his egregious conduct. The jury of six men and six women deliberated for one hour before returning a unanimous decision, finding the defendant guilty of one count of sexual assault and four counts of assault and battery against the woman.
The verdict was reached on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois Law Division.
The Executive, who owns interests in several Chicagoland insurance companies, was found guilty of multiple transgressions of the rights of a woman with whom he was acquittanced, between October 5, 2015 and March 23, 2016. The charges against the Executive included strangling, physical and verbal violence and non-consensual sexual behavior.
“This is a strong message from the heart of the #metoo movement to defend women against powerful men who feel that because they have wealth, they can act with callous disregard for the laws of humanity and the Republic. It took a jury of 12 people just one hour to determine that one woman’s suffering was worth eight million dollars in remuneration for scars that will last a lifetime. I can only hope that if this example doesn’t at least deter this kind of behavior, it sends a message that if you are a victim with a voice, the public has an ear,” said attorney Daniel J. Voelker. Voelker and Olga S. Dmytriyeva, who represented the victim, and are available for comment.
Appellate Court Opinion
The Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, issued an opinion September 28, 2020, upholding the original trial but reducing the punitive damages from $8 million to $1 million for a total verdict of $2 million.
Read the entire opinion…
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Tags #metoo, mistrial, parrillo, women's rights