Jury Awards Record $4 Million

An Effingham County State Court jury awarded $4 million to a Maryland man, the largest verdict in the Georgia court’s history.

Steve Patrick of Baltimore was named as executor and primary beneficiary of his aunt’s estate.  Patrick took over for his aunt’s care in 2009 after his brother, Charles, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  After some digging, Patrick realized that the $1 million in his aunt’s brokerage account had been depleted by Charles and his wife.  The jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.

See DeAnn Komanecky, Effingham Jury Awards $4M in Case of Aging Aunt’s Missing Million, Savannah Morning News, March 6, 2014.