'Wii' Trial Goes To Jury

Donald W. Carlson

The wrongful-death trial against ENTERCOM and its Top 40/Mainstream KDND/SACRAMENTO has been sent to the jury, who have gone into deliberations, reports the SACRAMENTO BEE. SACRAMENTO Superior Court Judge LLOYD A. PHILLIPS instructed the seven-man, five-woman panel on the law in the case and sent jurors into deliberations just before 11a.

After the plaintiff's lawyer having rested their side of the wrongful death trial between the family of the late JENNIFER STRANGE and ENTERCOM/SACRAMENTO (NET NEWS 10/14), the lawyer for ENTERCOM COMMUNICATIONS took center stage YESTERDAY, and said that JENNIFER STRANGE's death was not foreseeable in the infamous "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" water-drinking contest -- therefore his clients should not be held liable.

THE SACRAMENTO BEE's ANDY FURILLO reports ENTERCOM attorney DONALD W. CARLSON told the jury that if they do find his client guilty, they should award STRANGE's survivors "only $2.7 million in damages for the loss of her love and companionship and $1.819,643 for the loss of her past and present economic support, for a total award of a little over $4.5 million."

ROGER A. DREYER, representing the STRANGE family, had asked for an award of between $34 and $44.3 million.

CARLSON said ENTERCOM/SACRAMENTO made "serious, tragic mistakes," but the jury shouldn't hold his client liable for STRANGE's death. "Knowing what we know now, listening to the broadcasts, some of the comments by the disc jockeys ... it sounds horrible. The truth is that no one understood the harm at that time. I know each and every one of you will do the right thing," CARLSON told the jury in summing up.

« see more Net News