Contract Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, 2001

• NCJ Number: 207388
• Author(s): Thomas H. Cohen, J.D., Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics
• Date Published: February 2005
• Publication Series: Contract Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

Presents findings on contract cases disposed by jury or bench trials in 2001 in the Nation's 75 largest counties.

Abstract

Presents findings on contract cases disposed of by jury or bench trial in 2001 in the Nation's 75 largest counties. Information reported in numerical tables includes the types of cases, types of plaintiffs and defendants, trial winners, amount of damages awarded, and case processing time in contract trials. In addition, information on plaintiff and defendant post-verdict activity at the trial court and appellate levels is presented. This electronic only report contains a brief summary of the contract trial statistics.

Highlights

• Judges adjudicated 56% of contract cases, while juries decided the remaining 44%.
• In 2001 the overall median damage award, which includes both compensatory and punitive damages, for plaintiff winners in contract trials was $45,000.
• Punitive damages were awarded most frequently in contract trials involving fraud, employment discrimination, or partnership dispute claims.