After a two-year battle, a Hillsborough County Court affirms Corless/Katz jury defense verdict over the Merlin Law Group

Following a year battle to overturn a Hillsborough County jury verdict, Judge Charlene Honeywell denied Merlin Law Group’s motion for new trial in what has been reported as the first ever defense verdict in a sinkhole case in Florida history.  Following the entry of the jury verdict, Judge Honeywell denied a flurry of motions filed by Attorneys Amy Boggs and Jean Niven, including efforts to disqualify jurors, as well as a multitude of other reasons to set aside the verdict.  The Merlin attorneys had originally seen an opportunity to overturn the verdict after Judge Honeywell permitted them an opportunity to conduct post-trial interviews of at least one juror, although they sought to interview the entire panel.  After the interview was conducted and the motions heard, Judge Honeywell made numerous findings to support the findings of the jury, setting forth a basis for a preservation of this jury’s decision.