California Punitives by Horvitz & Levy
  • Yusuf v. Tija: $500,000 punitive damages award affirmed

    This unpublished opinion from the California Court of Appeal (Second Appellate District, Division Eight) affirms $500,000 in punitive damages.  The defendant apparently didn’t challenge the amount of the award, and argued only that the evidence was insufficient to support a finding of malice, oppression, or fraud.  The court easily disposed of that argument, concluding that the evidence of the defendants’ participation in human trafficking and false imprisonment was sufficient to warrant punitive damages.