In a stunning twist to the ongoing legal saga surrounding the $1.7 billion punitive damages verdict in the Ford Motor case, Georgia state’s bid to intervene in the suit has been denied by Gwinnett County State Court Judge Joseph C. Iannazzone. This denial, a critical development in the legal battle, has sent shockwaves through the legal community.
$1.7B Ford Motor Case : State Law Obstacle
Judge Iannazzone’s one-page order firmly asserted that Georgia’s motion to intervene was unfounded, citing a specific state law that expressly bars the state from becoming a party of interest in the case. The law stated, “shall not be construed as making the state a party at interest.”
James E. Butler Jr., the representative of the Hills, siblings Kim and Adam, who are at the heart of this high-stakes case, emphasized, “The state’s motion is fundamentally flawed. The statute is crystal clear, as Judge Iannazzone held: the state may not be a ‘party.'”
The Battle Unfolds
The state of Georgia had sought to intervene as a plaintiff, leveraging a state law that would allow it to recoup 75% of the punitive damages awarded. Their argument was rooted in the desire to safeguard the verdict while Ford undertakes its appeals process.
