A Texas household has been awarded $1.14 billion in damages in opposition to Constitution Communications in a lawsuit over the deadly stabbing of their aged mom and grandmother practically three years in the past.
Dallas County Decide Juan Renteria ordered Constitution to pay the household of Betty Jo McClain Thomas in a closing judgment launched Monday. The settlement comes after former Spectrum cable technician Roy Holden Jr. admitted to murdering the 83-year-old Thomas in her dwelling in December 2019.
A Texas jury additionally discovered that Constitution "knowingly and deliberately dedicated forgery with the intent to defraud or hurt" the plaintiffs by faking Thomas' signature on a compelled arbitration settlement after she had already died.
The award can be break up amongst Thomas' grandson William Goff and her kids Charles Thomas, Charlotte Glover, Cheryl Goff and Cindy Ringless.
"We're grateful that, after cautious consideration and overview of the legislation and trial file, the court docket entered judgment ordering Constitution to pay greater than $1 billion in whole damages to the sufferer's household," the household's lawyer, Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo, mentioned in a assertion on the legislation agency's web site.
Decide Renteria initially awarded Thomas' household greater than $7 billion in damages, however the household agreed to cut back that quantity to $1.14 billion.
Spending spree after stabbing
Thomas' household filed a lawsuit in opposition to Constitution Communications, which owns Spectrum, in 2020. The go well with claimed Constitution despatched Holden to Thomas' dwelling to repair an issue along with her Spectrum service. When Thomas known as Constitution the following day for extra repairs, Holden, who was off-duty, arrived in a Spectrum firm van, stabbed Thomas repeatedly after which stole her bank cards earlier than occurring a spending spree, the lawsuit alleged.
Holden pleaded responsible throughout his trial in opposition to Thomas' household final yr and is serving a life sentence in jail.
Thomas' household argued in court docket earlier this yr that Constitution did not correctly display Holden earlier than hiring him and that Holden was going by way of a divorce, skilled frequent insomnia and crying spells, and was financially unstable whereas working for Constitution. The jury sided with Thomas' household.
Constitution plans to enchantment the choice, the corporate mentioned in an announcement to CBS MoneyWatch. The Connecticut-based cable supplier mentioned that whereas it respects the jury's resolution, "the accountability for this horrible act rests solely with Mr. Holden, who was not on responsibility, and we're grateful he's in jail for all times."
Constitution mentioned it took all crucial steps to vet Holden earlier than his rent, "together with an intensive pre-employment prison background examine — which confirmed no arrests, convictions or different prison conduct." There was no proof from "Mr. Holden's efficiency after he was employed that recommended he was able to the crime he dedicated, together with greater than 1,000 accomplished service calls with zero buyer complaints about his conduct," Constitution mentioned.