This week Steve and Yvonne interview Daniel Callahan, founding partner of Callahan & Blaine (https://www.callahan-law.com/)

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

Guest Bio:

Daniel Callahan

Throughout his career, Daniel J. Callahan has always been known as one of the top trial attorneys in California.  His notable jury verdicts included a $934,000,000 jury verdict obtained after a three-month jury trial in a complex business dispute entitled Beckman Coulter vs. Flextronics. This unanimous verdict was the largest in California in 2003 and remains the largest in Orange County history.

Mr. Callahan also went on to obtain a $50,000,000 settlement in a road design case against the City of Dana Point. Exclusive of large class actions, this continues to be the largest personal injury settlement in United States history.

Mr. Callahan also obtained, after a two-month jury trial, a $38 Million settlement on behalf of a class of newspaper delivery drivers against The Orange County Register. This is still the highest employment settlement in Orange County’s history.

Mr. Callahan grew up in Chicago, Illinois where he went on to receive his BA, magna cum laude, from Western Illinois University in 1976, and graduated with honors from the UC Davis School of Law in 1979, while serving as Editor of the Law Review. He began his career in Hawaii before relocating to Southern California and starting his own firm by opening the doors on St. Patrick’s Day, 1984. Mr. Callahan also provides corporate consulting to law firms and lawyers regarding litigation and strategy through Callahan Consulting Group, LLC.

Read Full Bio Here

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com

Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

GTP CLASSIC EPISODE: This week Steve and Yvonne interview T. Gabe Houston of The Trial Lab (https://thetriallab.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

Case Details:

In June 2013, Thomas Joseph (“Joey”) Soulliere was riding his recently-purchased motorcycle down a public road. Suddenly, a driver in an SUV pulled out of a parking lot directly in front of him. While the situation was dire, Joey certainly had sufficient time to brake so as to avoid the SUV. Unfortunately, Joey’s bike, a 2009 Suzuki GSXR 600, contained a defect within its Front Brake Master Cylinder (a defect which had been known for years by its designer and manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation) which resulted in sudden and complete front brake failure. Having no front brake, Joey violently crashed into the SUV. His injuries included fracture of his right femur, right patella, and left foot. The patella injury was severe, requiring multiple surgeries (including for burst ligaments and infection). Joey also developed orthopedic injuries in his right shoulder and lower back, and continued to have chronic pain in his legs for years. (Source)

Guest Bio:

Gabe Houston

Gabe Houston is the founding member of The Trial Lab Corporation (Formerly Houston Law of California, PC), a law firm devoted to enthusiastically representing aviation-related disputes as well as compassionately helping injured people. In personal injury matters, our job is to help injured people realize their brighter futures. The Trial Lab helps innocent injured victims who have been hurt due to the carelessness of others. Our clients have suffered a catastrophic personal injury, typically by defective products, dangerous properties, or other negligent people, or have been injured on an airline or by a doctor or hospital. The Trial Lab also represents clients in cases involving Qui Tam/Whistleblower matters. T. Gabe Houston has complex trial, arbitration, mediation, and negotiation experience. The Trial Lab and its trial attorneys have successfully tried and arbitrated multiple complex cases to verdicts in the areas of aviation litigation, product liability actions, personal injury, medical malpractice, and as well as defending wrongly charged or accused criminal defendants. The Trial Lab has also represented pilots against regulatory agencies such as the FAA and NTSB as well as representing clients in securities and commodities regulatory and administrative litigation.

Gabe Houston and Caroline Blanco originally founded the law firm Houston and Blanco in 2008. Gabe and Caroline married, and Caroline left the practice of law to be the bedrock of a growing household. Gabe continued the practice as Houston Law of California. In 2012 Gabe suspended the solo practice when he was recruited to join a prominent medical malpractice firm where he used his trial knowledge and litigation experience to represent innocent victims of medical malpractice in suits against negligent physicians and health care providers. In 2018, Gabe returned to solo practice to stay focused on helping injured victims of catastrophic personal injury, defective products, dangerous premises, and airline injuries. Gabe is a long-time member of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA). Gabe was a long-time member of the Board of Directors of OCTLA and was on the Executive Committee, where he served as Parliamentarian through First Vice President before pivoting to bi-coastal trial practice.

Read Full Bio

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

---

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey discuss the case of Ramirez v. Avalon Mobile Home Park with guests Tony DelCampo, Randy Grayson, and Dax Lopez from DGL Attorneys At Law.

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform.

---

Case Details:

"After a one-week trial, a jury returned a verdict of $31 million for the wrongful death of Israel Ramirez. Mr. Ramirez was living with his sister and brother-in-law at Avalon Mobile Home Park. Avalon had experienced multiple crimes in the years before Israel’s death. While home from work for lunch, Israel and his sister saw a thief stealing his car from his home. Israel reacted quickly and confronted the thief, who shot and killed him.

Avalon failed to have reasonable security in place to protect its residents from foreseeable crimes. At trial, Avalon tried to blame Israel for his own death, claiming he should not have reacted to the theft of his vehicle. The defense claimed Israel acted unreasonably for defending his property. Our firm introduced evidence that the husband of Avalon’s property manager had left his own home to confront trespassers with a loaded gun on a previous occasion, contrasting the defense’s blaming Israel while celebrating a different resident who survived a similar encounter.

After hearing from Israel’s family members, including his children, the jury determined the value of his lost life, pain and suffering and awarded $31 million against Avalon Mobile Home Park." (Source) 

---

Guest Bio: Tony DelCampo

J. Antonio DelCampo, an esteemed attorney and former State Court Judge in DeKalb County, brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success to his practice. Known for his adept handling of complex cases, Tony has presided over high-profile matters, including civil claims stemming from the Brian Nichols courthouse shooting case, intricate medical malpractice suits, and product liability trials with significant verdicts, including one of the largest in the state’s history.

Read Full Bio

Guest Bio: Randall D. Grayson

Randall Grayson is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer. He is a founding member of the firm and has been with DGL since 2013. He began his practice in Georgia at Alston & Bird, one of the largest law firms in the country. Over the years, he has represented individuals, businesses, executives, and workers in a wide variety of cases and has tried several different lawsuits to successful jury verdicts.

Read Full Bio

Guest Bio: Dax López

For nearly 11 years, Dax served as a judge on the State Court of DeKalb County where he presided over hundreds of jury trials in complex criminal and civil matters. As only the second Hispanic judge on a court of record in the history of Georgia, Dax was known to be an efficient, fair, and just jurist who earned the respect of lawyers and litigants alike. Now as a trial lawyer, Dax uses his perspective as a former judge to fight for his clients, many of whom have been injured because of the negligence of others. Dax has been able to utilize the skills he learned while serving as a judge to obtain significant verdicts in the courtroom.

Read Full Bio

---

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

DGL Attorneys on Facebook

DGL Attorneys on Instagram

DGL Attorneys Website

---

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

---

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned Miami lawyer Sagi Shaked. They delve into a significant wrongful death case Shaked successfully tried in 2017, resulting in a $12,240,000 verdict.

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform.

---

Case Details:

"After a 4-day trial, we obtained a $12,240,000.00 verdict on behalf of a family that lost their mother as a result of a tragic head-on automobile collision. The trial team consisted of Sagi Shaked, Joel Roth, Manny Lorenzana and Iury Carvalho. Unfortunately, Roitiki Tyler only got to see her star athlete son play one college game. Tyler was accompanied by her 11-year-old, who flew from Florida to Iowa to watch Devontre Tyler play middle linebacker in a Saturday game in November 2014. The following night, Tyler was driving home when a Ford F-150 truck hit them head-on at 65 mph. The mother of two died. Her young son survived his mother without physical injuries, but whose subsequent emotional traumatization led a jury to award them with $12.24 million." (Source) (More Coverage on Case Details)

---

Guest Bio: Sagi Shaked

As an experienced Miami personal injury lawyer, Sagi Shaked actively litigates cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death on behalf of victims and their families. These cases include car accidents, product liability, medical negligence and malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, trucking accidents, industrial manufacturers, insurance disputes, premises liability, drowning accidents, airline accidents, burn-related accidents, and others.

Sagi Shaked has been practicing law since 2000 and went on to found the successful Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers in 2007, where he became one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States as named by the American Trial Lawyers Association. This highly coveted honor was bestowed upon Mr. Shaked for his exemplary legal expertise, compassion for his clients, and consistently recovering multi-millions of dollars in damages for those he represents. 

Read Full Bio

---

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

Shaked Law Firm on Facebook

Sagi Shaked on LinkedIn

Shaked Law Firm on Instagram

Shaked Law Firm on YOUTUBE

---

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

---

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey discuss the case of Robert and Virginia Rymers vs. CPS Energy with trial lawyers Mike Lyons and Chris Simmons of Lyons & Simmons.

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform.

---

Case Details:

The case involves a devastating natural gas explosion in a San Antonio home that resulted in severe burn injuries to Robert and Virginia Rymers. The gas lines had not been properly maintained or inspected by CPS Energy. The defense argued it was not a natural gas explosion, positing alternative theories. However, the jury sided with the plaintiffs, resulting in a $109.5 million verdict. (Source)

---

Guest Bios: Michael Lyons

Michael Lyons is one of the founding partners of Lyons & Simmons and concentrates his practice on representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases as well as “bet the company” complex business disputes. Lyons has a national reputation for achieving outstanding results for his clients by displaying a mastery of the facts and law while utilizing creativity, tenacity, and cutting-edge technology.

Over the past 25+ years of practice, Lyons has tried cases to juries, judges, and arbitrators throughout the state of Texas and all over the country. In the process, Lyons has obtained verdicts, awards, and settlements totaling over a billion dollars on behalf of his clients—many involving high profile, high exposure matters.

Lyons has extensive trial experience in cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, wrongful death, and product liability. Lyons’ cases are as diverse and extensive as his approach to his cases. He has handled cases involving: brain and spinal cord injuries, electrocutions, aviation disasters involving helicopters and airplanes, trucking accidents, construction site accidents, industrial accidents, motor vehicle products liability, pharmaceutical, and medical device products liability, large business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duties, medical malpractice, high profile contract disputes involving college football coaches and celebrities, and fire and explosion cases.

Read Full Bio

---

Guest Bios: Christopher Simmons

Chris Simmons is one of the founding partners of Lyons & Simmons. He focuses his practice on representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has developed a reputation as a highly-skilled warrior who combines a tireless work ethic with a creative and innovative approach to achieve results for the people that matter most—his clients. Simmons treats his clients’ problems as his own. Simmons wants his clients to know that he will stand up for them against their opponents. Anytime. Anywhere.

Simmons is a firm believer that results speak louder than words and with that mindset he pursues justice for his clients. His pursuit of justice has resulted in him trying cases to verdict throughout the state of Texas and obtaining multimillion-dollar results for his clients in states across the country. Simmons, along with firm Co-Founder Michael Lyons, has assembled a team of lawyers that has been consistently recognized as leaders in their field. Simmons and his team have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments, awards, and settlements on behalf of their clients.

Read Full Bio

---

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

Lyons & Simmons on Facebook

Lyons & Simmons on LinkedIn

Lyons & Simmons on Instagram

---

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

---

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry hosts Kimball Jones and

Joshua Berrett, partners at Bighorn Law, to discuss a recent landmark case in Clark County, Nevada. The case involved their client, Timothy Kuhn, who suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, after being rear-ended. 

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts

Case Details:

A Nevada state court jury slammed USAA with a $100 million punitive damages verdict in a bad faith lawsuit over the insurance giant's delays in paying out a claim for a zero-fault insured driver involved in a rear-end collision.

The Clark County jury awarded the $100 million, in addition to $14 million in compensatory damages, over USAA's actions following a 2018 collision involving plaintiff Timothy Kuhn. USAA determined Kuhn was not at fault after being rear-ended in stationary highway traffic, but when Kuhn sued the driver who hit him to collect damages related to a concussion USAA intervened and argued Kuhn was responsible for the crash.

Despite clear fault and significant medical expenses, USAA Casualty Insurance Company failed to reasonably handle his underinsured motorist claim, resulting in prolonged litigation. Jones and Berrett elaborate on the trial strategy, highlighting issues of insurance bad faith and the impressive jury verdict of $7 million in compensatory and $100 million in punitive damages against USAA. (Source)

Guest Bios:

Kimball Jones 

Kimball Jones is a partner at Bighorn Law, where he serves as both a trial lawyer and a dedicated advocate for individuals. His legal practice is centered on representing everyday people, often in cases against major corporations and insurance companies.

Kimball graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho in 2005. While earning his degree Kimball started the Pre-Law Society, interned for a U.S. senator, and served as the university’s student body president, all while holding a job to pay for school. Kimball went on to graduate from BYU Law School in 2008, where he was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship for academic merit each year.

Professionally, Kimball has been recognized as a Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney, winning several historic verdicts for his clients, including a recent $550 million dollar verdict, which is the largest verdict for a single plaintiff in Nevada history.

Outside of his legal career, Kimball has proudly served in the U.S. Army, both on active duty and as a reservist. He is deeply committed to community service and cherishes his role as a family man. Kimball and his wife, Ashley, recently celebrated 21 years of marriage and are the proud parents of four amazing children.

Read Full Bio

Joshua Berrett 

Joshua Berrett focuses his practice on personal injury litigation. He is licensed to practice law in Nevada and Utah.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Joshua attended law school at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. While in law school, Joshua served as the president of the Real Estate Law Society and the lead editor of the school’s International Law and Management Review.

Prior to joining Bighorn Law, Joshua worked for a large, national law firm that focused on creditors’ rights litigation. During this time, Joshua ran the firm’s Nevada and Utah offices.

Joshua has experienced first-hand the damage and suffering that can occur as the result of even a minor car crash. He takes this experience and passion and puts it to work every day as he fights vigorously for each one of his clients.

Read Full Bio

Links:

Facebook: Bighorn Law AND Kimball Jones Law

LinkedIn: Bighorn Law

Instagram: Bighorn Law AND Kimball Jones

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews trial lawyers Brian Brown and E.J. Hammann from Brown and Baron in Baltimore, Maryland. They discuss a complex case involving the tragic death of 83-year-old Helen Hansford at Largo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The episode highlights their strategic legal maneuvers, including the successful exclusion of the defense's medical expert, and the compelling testimony that led to an $8.5 million verdict for Hansford’s estate

---

Case Details:

In June 2020, when Helen first came to Largo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Prince George’s County, she weighed 112 pounds. She had previously been hospitalized after a bad fall, so she needed around-the-clock care. Upon admission, it was noted that she was at risk for falls, pressure injuries (bed sores), malnutrition, and “failing to thrive” (unsafe weight loss and related complications).

By October, Helen’s weight was reported to be around 95 pounds. Months later, in January 2021, her weight had plummeted to just 81 pounds, which is about 72% of what it was before. Amid Helen’s weight loss crisis, Largo staff failed to put her back on the blood thinner medication that she needed after a surgery related to her fall. In February 2021, a blood clot went to her lungs and brain, causing her to pass away.

---

Guest Bios:

E.J. Hammann

E.J. Hammann is a Partner and Trial Attorney at Brown & Barron. In her second year with the firm, E.J. was trial counsel in two cases obtaining $8 Million Plaintiffs’ verdicts (one for $8.5 Million and one for $8.3 Million). She has over 20 years’ experience working almost exclusively on medical malpractice cases. Her time defending doctors and hospital facilities, as well as knowledge gained working for medical malpractice insurance carriers, brings a depth of insight that benefits individuals who have been injured. As an experienced trial attorney, E.J. is committed to helping clients who face serious complications due to medical negligence or nursing home abuse.

Read Full Bio

Brian Brown

Brian S. Brown, one of the firm’s founding partners, as well as its Managing Member, has over thirty years of experience as a trial lawyer and focuses his practice on litigating nursing home abuse and medical malpractice cases.

Brian has tried well over 100 tort cases and has obtained multiple multi-million dollar verdicts. Over his career, he has recovered more than $175 million for his clients, through both trial and settlement. In addition to his trial experience, Brian has extensive appellate experience, having appeared before the Maryland Court of Appeals twelve times, and the Court of Special Appeals more than fifty times. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brian is currently a member of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Brian has presented on legal topics in a variety of settings, including for the Inn of Court, and over ten times for HB Litigation Conferences. He has also presented to the entire bench of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City regarding the evolving law of expert testimony in Maryland.

Read Full Bio

Links:

Facebook: Brown & Barron, LLC

LinkedIn: Brown & Barron, LLC; @Brian Brown; @Emily Hammann

Instagram: Brown.BarronLLC

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guests Tara Sutton and Philip Seiff from Robbins Kaplan LLP. The discussion centers on the significant legal case, McDougal vs. CRC Industries, which resulted in a $7.75 million verdict (later over $10.5 million after post-judgment adjustments). 

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review

Case Details:

The Robins Kaplan trial team secured a groundbreaking $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of aerosol dust remover products. This is believed to be the first known case against a dust remover manufacturer that has been tried to a plaintiff verdict.

The litigation stemmed from a tragic vehicle crash in 2019 where the client’s wife was killed after her car was struck by a driver who was impaired from huffing CRC Duster. Inhaling this product can cause dramatic impairment effects from the chemical used as a propellant.  The case focused on the well-known abuse of aerosol dust remover products, such as CRC Duster, and CRC Industries’ responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of their products' misuse. (Source)

Guest Bio:

Tara Sutton

Tara Sutton, chair of Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, has built a distinguished career in mass tort litigation and is renowned for her dedicated, unyielding commitment to justice. Her career has been marked by steadfast advocacy, and an unrelenting pursuit for accountability over corporate

Read Full Bio

Philip Sieff

Trial lawyer Phil Sieff battles for justice when wrongdoers cause serious injury or death. Intense and relentless, he helps clients find the courage they need to face those who have hurt them. He has significant experience representing families coping with the wrongful death of a loved one, particularly a child, having handled hundreds of wrongful death cases. He has particular experience in complex and high-profile cases, including: the I-35W Bridge Collapse (lead co-counsel of I-35W Consortium, a group of 17 law firms that provided legal services to over 100 collapse victims); the Red Lake High School Shooting; and the Holidazzle Parade Disaster.

Read Full Bio

Links:

Robins Kaplan on Facebook

Tara Sutton on LinkedIn

Philip Sieff on LinkedIn

Robins Kaplan on X

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

GTP host Steve Lowery is leading the conservation today with special guest Maxey Scherr, the founder of Scherr Law Firm in El Paso, Texas. They explore the complexities of an extraordinary case, Mendoza vs. Titan Transportation, where Maxey secured a verdict of over $16 million for her client, Ruben Ivan Mendoza.

Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review

Case Details:

The case revolved around a severe truck crash in Dallas County, Texas, where Ruben Mendoza, the driver of a pickup truck leased by Titan Transportation, was rear-ended by a truck owned by DSX Transportation. Despite the defense's attempts to frame Mendoza as an independent contractor, Maxey successfully proved that he was an employee in the course and scope of his employment, showcasing Titan's negligence in his lack of training and safety protocols. Scherr Law Firm secures an $11,005,000 settlement with three of four defendants named in a lawsuit and obtains a $16,857,276 verdict against the fourth remaining defendant in 

Guest Bio:

Maxey Scherr

Maxey Scherr founded Scherr Law Firm in 2022. She has litigated over 40 jury trials resulting in multi-figure verdicts across the board. Her areas of expertise include trucking accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries.

Ms. Scherr is a member of various boards and organizations and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Women's Caucus and Board of Regents member with the ATAA, is on the Texas State Bar Committee on the Administration of the Rules of Evidence, is a member of the American Association for Justice and sits on the Women's Rights Commission for the City of El Paso.

Through the years, Ms. Scherr's efforts have garnered many accolades. Most notably, Ms. Scherr is a "Super Lawyer," a "Top Ten Attorney," receives numerous "Litigator Awards" and has various National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts.

Ms. Scherr is licensed in Texas, New Mexico and Illinois and graduated from Texas Tech School of Law. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with magna cum laude honors and undertook postgraduate work in Neuroscience at Harvard University.

Read Full Bio

Links:

Scherr Law Firm on Facebook: Scherr Law Firm

Scherr Law Firm on LinkedIn: Scherr Law Firm

Contact Scherr Law Firm: Scherr Law Firm

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

GTP hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey delve into the riveting case of Donald Clark vs. the State of Iowa with guest Mel Orchard from the Spence Law Firm. They explore the wrongful conviction of Donald Clark, a school counselor accused of sexual assault in 2009, and the subsequent legal malpractice case against his public defender for inadequate representation. The discussion highlights the significant emotional and physical toll on Clark during his six and a half years in prison, the courtroom strategies employed, and the eventual $12 million verdict for emotional distress.

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

Case Details:

The case revolves around a legal malpractice action against a state public defender, who represented a client convicted of sexual abuse. The client, Donald Lyle Clark, was convicted and sentenced to prison. The conviction was affirmed on appeal. However, in postconviction proceedings, the court determined that Clark's defense counsel had provided ineffective assistance and ordered a new trial. The state declined to prosecute, and Clark filed a civil action for legal malpractice against the state as the lawyer’s employer. The district court granted partial summary judgment, holding that the finding of ineffective assistance in the postconviction proceedings established counsel’s negligence as a matter of law. The jury found the lawyer negligent and awarded Clark $12 million in emotional distress damages.

Guest Bio:

Mel Orchard

Mel Orchard is a trial lawyer, trying cases in the courtrooms across America, for the past 27 years. Mel has litigated and/or tried hundreds of cases in his career and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and verdicts for his clients. During his trial career, Mel has been a part of record-breaking civil jury verdicts in various jurisdictions (Wyoming, Arizona, and Iowa). He has also devoted significant time to pro bono work through Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, and many local and national charities.

In addition to preparing for trial or being in trial, Mel was a senior faculty member and board member at the Trial Lawyer's College in Wyoming and was recently selected to join the Board.

Mel also lectures and presents to various legal organizations throughout the country including Bar Associations, Leadership Organizations and has taught Judicial Ethics to various groups of judges. He was Chairman for the Wyoming Commission for Judicial Conduct and Ethics where he served as a member for six years after appointment.

Read Full Bio

Links:

The Spence Law Firm on Facebook: Spence Law Firm

Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2