Just What Damages Did Sue Scheff Claim?

[Anonymous]

According to news reports, Scheff's attorney had offered to settle the suit for $35,000 pre-trial.

So how did the jurors come up with $11.3 million?

Would the transcripts provide any insight?  Are they available to the public?  Seems like the media interest has fallen off.

[Anonymous]

Wasn't most of the "media interest" mostly about what has been discussed on this forum--questions about how such a high award could be handed over in a case where no evidence was presented to this jury?
 Or, how a judgment could be reached when there was no defense offered, at all?
 Seems like more questions were raised, than were answered.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I noticed on other blogs where this was case was being discussed that many people seemed to feel the astonishing verdict made for a great headline ... period.  Something about the headline not being in line with the context of the case (there was no defense).

What perplexes me is apparently Scheff's own attorney was willing to settle for $35,000 pre-trial.  What does this figure represent?  The plaintiff's claim for actual damages?  

Given the media's apparent lack of interest, the legal profession, the Internet freedom fighters, etc. this is why reading the transcripts might be helpful.  It would be nice to understand the basis for the jurors coming back with such a huge amount.  I realize $5 million or so was punitive but that still leaves more than half as being actual damages?

 :question:

[Anonymous]

Where's the NEWS REPORT that actually states Pollack was willing to settle for $35K?

[Anonymous]

Don't people, as in  Sue-Sue, have to prove they had "damages" in some certain amount to get any amount awarded?
Yep, would like to see those transcripts to see what those damages were.

[Anonymous]

Daniel Ostrovsky
Daily Business Review
October 6, 2006

A Weston, Fla., woman who spoke out publicly against a Utah-based company affiliated with a controversial chain of boarding schools for troubled teens around the world has won an $11.3 million Internet defamation verdict.

On Sept. 19, Susan Scheff and her Weston-based company, Parents Universal Resource Experts Inc., won the jury verdict in Broward Circuit Court against Carey Bock, a woman whom Scheff helped in getting Bock's two sons out of a school in Costa Rica. The judgment included $5 million in punitive damages.

Scheff filed the suit in December 2003, alleging that Bock posted defamatory statements about her on an Internet bulletin board viewed by parents of troubled teens, according to court pleadings.

The verdict is the latest chapter in the increasing volume of litigation around the country over the content of Internet sites, blogs and online bulletin boards.

"This is a new area of law," said Scheff's attorney, David H. Pollack of Miami. "The problem with the Internet is people can post anything about you and it can destroy you."

Pollack said that his client previously offered to settle the case for $35,000.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1160039129767

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North Country Gazette (New York)
October 11, 2006

Excerpt:

Scheff, represented by attorney David Pollack of Miami, had filed the lawsuit in 2003 against Carey Bock of Mandeville, La. Bock failed to show up for the proceeding.

Pollack said that "you can't just destroy somebody's life, destroy somebody's reputation and make blatant false statements" without consequences.

Scheff had helped get Bock's two sons out of a Costa Rica school but then Bock allegedly began posting defamatory statements against her on a bulletin board that was viewed by parents of other troubled teens and potential customers of her business.

Scheff's attorney had offered to settle the suit for $35,000 pre-trial.

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/arti ... Award.html

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[Anonymous]

Don't people, as in  Sue-Sue, have to prove they had "damages" in some certain amount to get any amount awarded?
Yep, would like to see those transcripts to see what those damages were.

You can call the court in Broward County at (954) 831-5740.  You can get any information including who the depositions were by and what was said to the jury in the transcripts when Carey Bock was not there. All this information is now public and the whole case has been exposed to the news because Sue Scheff has made it all very public.

Carey Bock should have copies of all depositions and she could provide all of them to someone for free if she wanted to.  How about it Carey?

[Anonymous]

Pollack said that "you can't just destroy somebody's life, destroy somebody's reputation and make blatant false statements" without consequences.

Its funny that Sue Scheff can scam parents out of their hard earned money and take down families but that's okay?  Its like Phil Elberg said--Sue Scheff has access to money so she can use it to silence others.

[Anonymous]

It would be good to have the transcripts of the trial with only one side there.

QUOTE
You can call the court in Broward County at (954) 831-5740. You can get any information including who the depositions were by and what was said to the jury in the transcripts when Carey Bock was not there. All this information is now public and the whole case has been exposed to the news because Sue Scheff has made it all very public.

Carey Bock should have copies of all depositions and she could provide all of them to someone for free if she wanted to. How about it Carey?

[Anonymous]

I presume the transcripts would contain the testimony of any witnesses?  Even if they weren't cross-examined by a defense lawyer (an important consideration) it seems logical their testimony might provide further insight.

[Anonymous]

Why dont you, Izzy and your Texan buds want people to know the other side of what you did to this poor woman and other people like her, such as Joyce Harris?   Why dont ya sue Phil for his staement below?  Because its true?

?Warbis? lawyer, Philip Elberg, of Medvin & Elberg of Newark, New Jersey, sharply criticized Scheff and other people who refer parents to programs for troubled teens. ?People in this industry have consistently used their money and their access to lawyers to silence critics of the industry and this may be one of those examples,? Elberg said. ?Sue Scheff is simply another person in the industry of people who make money from the plight of frightened parents.??

[Anonymous]

The article states that Sue Scheff "bills herself as an educational consultant."  WHAT?  She "bills" herself as an  educational consultant?

Is that sort of like she CLAIMED to have a college degree?

This article also stated Scheff's company "sometimes gets paid for their referrals."
Scheff has refused to name the facilities that DO PAY HER REFERRAL FEES.  Think she might name the facilities that DON'T pay her referral fees?

[Anonymous]

///Think she might name the facilities that DON'T pay her referral fees?///

She might, because she won't refer to them. You pay or you don't work with PURE. She will not refer a child to a facility that will not pay her, no matter how safe and appropreate it might be.