On March 30, the Ohio Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a very important case, Amanda Brandt v. Roy Pompa, et al. Pompa raped and sexually abused Amanda when she was age 11 and 12. Amanda sued Pompa for various civil damages as a result of her injuries. A jury weighed the evidence and rendered a verdict against Pompa, including $20 million in non-economic damages.
Current Ohio law (established as blanket tort reform in 2005) dictated that the Court would reduce the verdict amount to $250,000 – the amount currently allowed for non-economic damages - resulting in Amanda being compensated only a fraction of what the jury concluded was fair and just. The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to hear her argument that the current law violates provisions of the Ohio Constitution. Amanda states that the damages cap has violated her right to a trial by jury (because it altered the jury’s finding that she had suffered a catastrophic injury); has deprived her of a meaningful remedy; and took away her due process and the equal protection of the laws.
Amanda is not alone in experiencing the devastating reality that Ohio’s justice system severely limits a victim’s ability to recover from wrongdoings. A ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court in Amanda’s favor would be significant movement in the effort to protect victim’s rights.
To watch the oral arguments, click Supreme Court of Ohio Live Stream. The oral arguments for the scheduled cases begin at 9:00 am. Amanda’s case is second on the oral arguments schedule.
