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Quichocho seeks new trial in Kim’s lawsuit
A jury trial in federal court in businesswoman Jung Ja Kim’s racketeering lawsuit against lawyer Ramon K. Quichocho, his wife, and his law firm lasted for almost two months. Now Quichocho wants the court to hold a new trial.
Quichocho and his counsel, Michael Dotts, have asked the U.S. District Court for the NMI on Friday to issue a judgment that favors them, notwithstanding the verdict.
Quichocho and Dotts said that Kim failed to present any evidence pertaining to money laundering or wire fraud.
Furthermore, Quichocho and Dotts said, Kim failed to show a pattern of racketeering activity.
In the alternative, the Quichochos requested the court for a new trial based on juror misconduct.
The two lawyers said a new trial is warranted because at least three of the jurors gave untruthful information during jury voir dire.
Through voir dire an attorney can challenge a prospective juror for cause if that person says or otherwise expresses bias against the lawyer’s case.
In this case, Quichocho and Dotts said, there is no question that the jurors in question were dishonest.
The jurors, the lawyers said, did not disclose that he/she had known at least two of their witnesses.
“It cannot seriously be argued that a juror’s disclosure that her car had been repossessed by one of defendants’ expert witnesses, or that she is bitter toward one of defendants’ expert witnesses, or that he has a close relationship to one of defendants’ expert witnesses, would not have given defendants’ counsel a valid basis to challenge that juror for cause, whether or not the trial court might ultimately have granted that challenge had the juror answered truthfully,” they said.
The jury selection began on Feb. 3 and continued on Feb. 4, 2014.
The nine jurors reached a unanimous verdict on March 28, 2014, their sixth day of deliberations, holding Quichocho, his wife Frances, his law firm, and their company Karissa LLC liable to pay $2.4 million in damages to Kim, who sued them for racketeering and other claims.
The jury, however, found Kim liable to pay Quichocho and his law firm $48,221.67 in legal fees.
