Free Other Notice - District Court of Arizona - Arizona

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Thomas L. Hudson, 014485 Danielle D. Janitch, 021838 OSBORN MALEDON, P.A. 2929 North Central Avenue, Suite 2100 Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2794 [email protected] [email protected] (602) 640-9000 Steven C. Dawson, 006674 Anita Rosenthal, 006199 DAWSON & ROSENTHAL, P.C. 6586 Highway 179, Suite B-2 Sedona, Arizona 86351 [email protected] (602) 494-3800 Gregg H. Temple, 009866 GREGG H. TEMPLE, P.C. 4835 East Cactus Road, Suite 225 Scottsdale, AZ 85254-4196 [email protected] (602) 808-0508 Attorneys for Plaintiff UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Case 2:02-cv-02281-SMM Document 271 Filed 02/08/2006 Page 1 of 4
1180252

(1) Brett D. Leavey,

) ) Plaintiff, ) ) vs. ) ) (2) UNUM/Provident Corporation, a ) foreign corporation, and (3) Provident Life ) and Accident Insurance Company, a ) foreign corporation, ) ) Defendants. ) )

No. CIV-02-2281 PHX SMM

NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Plaintiff Brett D. Leavey submits a supplemental citation of authority to Williams v. Philip Morris Inc., ____ P.3d ____, 2006 WL 242456 (Or. Feb. 2, 2006) and Scott v. Blue Springs Ford Sales, Inc., 176 S.W.3d 140 (Mo. 2005), copies of which are attached for the Court's convenience. Williams and Scott support Dr. Leavey's argument that the jury's punitive damages award falls well within a constitutionally acceptable range without violating the Defendants' due process rights. This argument is set forth on pages 15-22 of Plaintiff's Response to Defendants' Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law or, in the Alternative, Motion for a New Trial and/or Remittitur ("Response"). Williams also supports Dr. Leavey's contention at pages 19-20 of the Response that in determining the reprehensibility of the Defendants' conduct, the Court should view the facts "in the light most favorable to plaintiff." 2006 WL 242456 at *1. Viewing the evidence in this light, Williams upheld the jury's punitive damages award of $79.5 million. Id. at *12-16. Williams also explained that "evidence of similar conduct against other parties may be relevant to a punitive damage award." Williams, 2006 WL 242456 at *11 (emphasis in original). Scott also supports Dr. Leavey's contention at page 17-18 and 21-22 that Defendants, as repeat offenders, should be punished more severely than first time offenders. In such situations, "a larger punitive damage award [is] necessary in order to have a sufficient deterrent effect." Scott, 176 S.W.3d at 140 (Teitelman, J., concurring) (citing Mathias v. Accor Economy Lodging, Inc., 347 F.3d 672 (7th Cir. 2003) ("If a tortfeasor is `caught' only half the time he commits torts, then when he is ... ... ... ... ...
Document 271 2 Filed 02/08/2006 Page 2 of 4

Case 2:02-cv-02281-SMM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

caught he should be punished twice as heavily in order to make up for the times he gets away.")). DATED this 8th day of February, 2006. Steven C. Dawson, 006674 Anita Rosenthal, 006199 DAWSON & ROSENTHAL, P.C. 6586 Highway 179, Suite B-2 Sedona, Arizona 86351 Gregg H. Temple, 009866 GREGG H. TEMPLE, P.C. 4835 East Cactus Road, Suite 225 Scottsdale, AZ 85254-4196 OSBORN MALEDON, P.A.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Case 2:02-cv-02281-SMM Document 271 3 Filed 02/08/2006 Page 3 of 4

By s/ Danielle D. Janitch Thomas L. Hudson, 014485 Danielle D. Janitch, 021838 2929 North Central Avenue, Suite 2100 Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2794 Attorneys for Plaintiff

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

I hereby certify that on February 8, 2006, I electronically transmitted the attached document to the Clerk's Office using the CM/ECF System for filing and transmittal of a Notice of Electronic Filing to the following CM/ECF registrants: Stephen M. Bressler Ann-Martha Andrews Scott Michael Bennett Lewis and Roca, LLP 40 North Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85004-4429 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Attorneys for Defendants s/ Joni J. Jarrett-Mason

Case 2:02-cv-02281-SMM

Document 271 4 Filed 02/08/2006

Page 4 of 4