Monday, May 20, 2002
Page 3
Jury Awards $225,000 Against Judge Snyder in Automobile Case
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A jury in Santa Monica returned a $225,000 verdict Friday against U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder in an injury suit brought by a bicyclist, the plaintiff’s lawyer said.
Attorney David Hoffman said the Los Angeles Superior Court jury came in with the award following a seven-day trial before Judge Richard Nidorf.
Neither Snyder nor her attorney, Michael Dolan, could be reached for comment.
Hoffman said his client, Alex Outhred—now 27—was on his bike and on his way to see his sister when Snyder struck him with her car on her way home from work on June 29, 2000.
Hoffman said Snyder, a member of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California since 1997, stopped 150 feet after striking Outhred, then returned to the scene and told him she had not seen him. Hoffman said his client asked the judge to replace his bicycle, but she declined.
Outhred suffered a tear to his left knee, which had been injured twice before, Hoffman said.
Snyder sought a comparative negligence verdict but the jury rejected the idea, Hoffman said.
He noted that the federal judge was in the Superior Court courtroom only for her testimony.
He added:
“The jury was never told she was a judge. She was treated just like anyone else. This shows you that the system works. No one is above the law.”
Copyright 2002, Metropolitan News Company