The attorney for the owner of a movie equipment rental company is expected to challenge a jury’s verdict to award more than $9.5 million in damages to a former competitor whose truck was burned in an arson fire 10 years ago.
A Circuit Court jury Tuesday ordered George Cambra to pay the damages to William Takaki. Takaki sued Cambra in July 1999 after Takaki’s film production truck was torched in 1991.
Cambra pleaded guilty to conspiring to burn the truck and agreed to testify against co-defendant Joseph Tavares Jr. Tavares was convicted in 1999 of arson, conspiracy, extortion and robbery and was sentenced to more than 15 years in a federal prison.
Takaki’s Circuit Court suit originally named Cambra, his parents and Tavares as defendants. But all but Cambra were dismissed as parties to the suit.
William Jarrett, Cambra’s attorney, said he could not challenge the liability portion of the lawsuit because Cambra had admitted to participating in the plan to burn Takaki’s truck. But Jarrett said Cambra didn’t take part in the actual crime and should not be held 100 percent liable for damages.
Jarrett said Circuit Judge Mark Browning denied the defendant’s request to apportion liability and responsibility to Tavares. He also challenged claims by Takaki’s attorney, William Sink, that Cambra has spread his assets among various corporations to avoid financial liability.
Jarrett said Browning dismissed the fraudulent transfer claims by the plaintiff.
