Posted at 8:08 a.m., Monday, July 2, 2007
NFL: Calif. court ends Raiders' lawsuit against league
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court today ended the Oakland Raiders' long-standing lawsuit that claimed the NFL sabotaged the team's effort to build a stadium at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles.The case dates back more than 20 years when Raiders managing partner Al Davis accused the league of purposely not doing enough to help the team move from the antiquated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to a new stadium complete with revenue-generating luxury suites.
The Raiders returned to Oakland in 1996 after spending 13 years in Los Angeles.
The NFL won a 9-3 verdict in 2001, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Hubbell ordered a new trial amid accusations that one juror was biased against the team and Davis, and that another juror committed misconduct.
A state appeals court overturned that decision, and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday that the verdict against the Raiders stands.
The juror said he joked that he hated the Raiders because he had once wagered on the team and lost. The juror said he made the comment as a way to ease tensions during deliberations and that none of his colleagues took the joke seriously.
The Supreme Court also declined to order a new trial based on accusations that a second juror, who was a lawyer, gave other jurors information about the law that the judge did not provide.
