Crouch v. Playboy

Summary

In this Communication industry employment law litigation proceeding, plaintiff Julie Crouch alleged Playboy Entertainment Inc. of negligence in not stopping a male employee of the company Charles Dorn, who was the plaintiffs colleague from sexually abusing her.

The plaintiff was represented by attorney Mark Valencia. The defendant in this case, Playboy Entertainment Inc. was represented by attorneys Barbara Fitzgerald and Jason Mills.

The jury awarded compensatory damages of $182.5K, as well as punitive damages against Mr. Dorn of $10K.

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Outcome

Economic Damages: 22,500
Non-Economic Damages: 160,000
Punitive Damages against Dorn: 10,000

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Crouch, Julie
Defense: Playboy Entertainment Inc.
Verdict: $192,500

Judge: Conrad Aragon
Jurisdiction: Superior Court of California, Los Angeles
Court: Stanley Mosk Courthouse

Case Number: BC409425
Industry: Communications
Practice Area: Employment Law, Tort Law

Plaintiff

Crouch, Julie

Represented By:
Valencia, Mark (Valencia, Mark Joseph, Law Offices of)

Defense

Playboy Entertainment Inc.

Represented By:
Fitzgerald, Barbara (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)
Mills, Jason (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:44	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Dorn, Charles	In Person
00:25:33	Break
00:36:50	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Dorn, Charles	Video Recording
00:58:00	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Dorn, Charles	In Person
01:37:58	Break
01:48:45	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Dorn, Charles	In Person
02:17:13	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Dorn, Charles	In Person
02:33:28	End of Session

JUL

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:04	General Case Activities
00:01:30	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Johnson, Shere	In Person
00:07:08	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Johnson, Shere	In Person
00:10:07	Break
00:21:46	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	O'Connell, Danielle	In Person
01:22:38	Break
01:31:25	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	O'Connell, Danielle	In Person
01:43:05	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Nguyn, Tony	In Person
02:17:33	End of Session

JUL

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Villa, Brenda	In Person
00:59:52	Break
01:15:12	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Villa, Brenda	In Person
02:17:58	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

7 Chapters

JUL

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

3 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Julie	In Person
00:11:28	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Crouch, Julie	In Person
01:40:34	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Crouch, Julie	In Person
00:02:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Julie	In Person
00:15:55	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Carter, Dr. Scott	In Person
00:16:45	General Case Activities
00:18:05	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Carter, Dr. Scott	In Person
00:26:50	Break
00:35:26	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Carter, Dr. Scott	In Person
01:07:22	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Carter, Dr. Scott	In Person
01:48:22	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Carter, Dr. Scott	In Person
01:54:25	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Other

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:18	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Vega, Evan	Transcript Reading
00:16:30	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Vega, Evan	Transcript Reading
00:27:47	Break
00:40:42	General Case Activities
00:42:47	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Hicks, Joe	In Person
01:01:30	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Hicks, Joe	In Person
01:07:14	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Hicks, Joe	In Person
01:08:08	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

14 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:02	General Case Activities
00:01:20	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Whening, Christopher	In Person
00:06:14	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Whening, Christopher	In Person
00:06:32	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Whening, Christopher	In Person
00:07:34	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Rivas, Carlos	In Person
00:13:22	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Rivas, Carlos	In Person
00:16:35	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Rivas, Carlos	In Person
00:17:31	Witness Direct Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Johnson, Shere	In Person
00:32:43	Break
00:52:14	Witness Direct Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Villa, Brenda	In Person
00:56:26	Witness Direct Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Dorn, Charles	In Person
00:58:51	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Dorn, Charles	In Person
00:59:06	General Case Activities
01:00:23	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Mankowski, Steve	In Person
00:05:15	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Mankowski, Steve	In Person
00:06:27	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Mankowski, Steve	In Person
00:07:30	Witness Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Santana, Lee	In Person
00:25:05	Witness Cross Examination	Valencia, Mark	Santana, Lee	In Person
00:32:08	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Mills, Jason	Santana, Lee	In Person
00:33:24	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Glaser, Dr. David	In Person
		00:27:18	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Closings

3 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Other

15 Chapters

AUG

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Crouch v. Playboy

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:43	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Johnson, Shere	In Person
01:15:07	Break
01:29:21	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Johnson, Shere	In Person
02:28:20	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:25	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Burton, Jennifer	In Person
00:26:15	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Burton, Jennifer	In Person
00:55:00	Break
01:02:09	General Case Activities
01:03:17	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Venson, Eric	In Person
01:38:00	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Venson, Eric	In Person
01:54:25	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Venson, Eric	In Person
01:54:55	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Venson, Eric	In Person
01:55:28	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:52	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
01:00:20	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
01:13:10	Break
01:24:15	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
02:12:09	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
02:20:41	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
02:24:17	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Mendoza, Victor	In Person
02:25:24	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:15	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Tremazi, Dr. Jaffar	In Person
00:15:46	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Tremazi, Dr. Jaffar	In Person
00:41:24	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Tremazi, Dr. Jaffar	In Person
00:45:36	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Tremazi, Dr. Jaffar	In Person
00:47:28	Break
01:01:21	General Case Activities
01:02:30	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Medina, Mr.	Video Recording
01:34:25	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Medina, Mr.	Video Recording
02:04:31	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:40	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Devine, Carol	Transcript Reading
00:09:04	Witness Cross Examination	Mills, Jason	Devine, Carol	Transcript Reading
00:09:26	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Devine, Carol	Transcript Reading
00:11:05	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Garrett	In Person
00:26:02	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Crouch, Garrett	In Person
00:34:02	End of Session
00:38:25	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Garrett	In Person
00:40:57	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Julie	In Person
01:20:48	Break
01:39:02	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Crouch, Julie	In Person

	Description	Attorney
00:00:20	General Case Activities
00:02:52	Closing Statement	Valencia, Mark
01:01:44	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:08	General Case Activities
00:04:40	Break
01:33:25	General Case Activities
01:34:42	Reading of the Verdict
01:38:10	General Case Activities
01:50:40	Break
02:06:01	Witness Direct Examination	Valencia, Mark	Dorn, Charles	In Person
02:07:25	Witness Cross Examination	Fitzgerald, Barbara	Dorn, Charles	In Person
02:08:50	General Case Activities
02:10:44	Break
02:25:26	General Case Activities
02:26:10	Reading of the Verdict
02:26:53	General Case Activities
02:28:25	General Case Activities
02:29:35	End of Session