Judge throws out motion for mistrial in Skilled Healthcare case; court also grants injunction against nursing home company

◼ TS Judge throws out motion for mistrial in Skilled Healthcare case; court also grants injunction against nursing home company
A Humboldt County judge threw out a motion for a mistrial in the class action lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare on Friday, signaling another wild day for the company's stock.
The motion, filed earlier this month by defense attorneys, alleged misconduct by one member of the jury that returned a $677 million verdict against the company on July 6. Defense attorneys called the amount, which remains the largest jury verdict in the United States this year, “annihilating,” and immediately took action to have it overturned.

In response to the motion, plaintiffs' attorneys filed a handful of declarations from other jury members dismissing the alleged bias and serving as a basis for Judge Bruce Watson to deny the motion. In his ruling, Watson stated that he found no evidence of juror misconduct and no grounds for a mistrial...

In addition to the denial of the motion, the court issued a permanent injunction that orders all Skilled Healthcare facilities to comply with the minimum staffing requirements mandated by California statute. Effective immediately, each of the 22 facilities implicated in the suit is to maintain 3.2 nursing hours per-patient, per-day....
◼ Gallegos Forces Nursing Facilities to Follow the Law Gallegos' own propaganda blog...
http://www.times-standard.com/ci_15913875

Mistrial motion denied in Skilled Healthcare case
The Times-Standard
Posted: 08/27/2010 10:44:03 AM PDT
Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson denied Skilled Healthcare’s motion for a mistrial in a ruling filed with the court today.

In his ruling, Watson states that he found no evidence of juror misconduct and no grounds for a mistrial in the class-action lawsuit that resulted in a $677 million award of damages against the nursing home chain for failing to maintain 3.2 nursing hours per patient, per day, as mandated by California statute.

In a separate ruling filed today, Watson also granted a permanent injunction sought by Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos in the case. Now granted, the injunction requires Skilled Healthcare to comply with California state and meet minimum staffing requirements.