The civil suit involving the ill-fated Canyon Ridge conference center development already has broken county records for longest trial and, in all likelihood, for largest jury verdict. And it's far from over.
On Thursday, Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge J.B. Bennett tacked another $4,470,628 in prejudgment interest onto the compensatory and punitive damages already totaling $31.5 million.
Prejudgment interest is a rate, in this case 5 percent, applied to compensate for money used between a date before the trial and the judgment date. After some dispute on the first date from attorneys for defendants Ed Wall and Stern Agee & Leach Inc., Bennett settled on $4.4 million.
He also refused a request from the plaintiffs for more than $3 million in attorneys' fees, citing a failure of proof.
None of these numbers can yet be considered hard and fast. A hearing scheduled for June 30 will address a motion for new trial and other requests from the defense, which could alter the amount of the damages.
It's also possible that the parties could settle.
On Thursday, Bennett ordered both sides to seek mediation. That could result in a settlement, or the defendants could choose to appeal.
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