PR Newswire
June 16, 2004
$2,000,000 Punitive Damage Award in Slovinski vs. Elliott
CHICAGO, June 16 /PRNewswire/ — On Wednesday, June 16, 2004, a Cook County jury returned a verdict of $2,081,600.00 against Defendant James Elliott, a former CEO of a telecommunications company. The Plaintiff, Jerry Slovinski of Naperville, was the CFO of Elliott's company. At a meeting in July of 1996, Elliott told financial executives of MCI/World Comm that his firm did not have financial statements because Slovinski failed to prepare them, saying Slovinski was not doing his job, coming in late and leaving early, sneaking out to workout, and "chasing p---- all day."
The jury awarded Slovinski $81,600.00 for his emotional distress and $2,000,000 in punitive damages. The Honorable Robert E. Gordon presided over the two day trial at the Daley Center. The case was entitled Jerry Slovinski vs. James Elliott and Cherry Communications, 01 L 9564. The case against Cherry Communications was dismissed after Cherry went into bankruptcy several years ago.
The Plaintiff Slovinski was represented by attorney Tom Leahy of Leahy & Hoste, 321 North Clark Street, Suite 2222, Chicago, Illinois 60610. Phone: 312/372-8893. The Defendant James Elliott was represented by Jeffrey Patrick Guzak, 1618 Colonial Parkway, Inverness, Illinois 60067. Phone: 847/705-8195.
Slovinski alleged that Cherry owed MCI/World Comm millions of dollars for long distance telephone service and was in danger of losing further phone access when MCI/ World Comm asked Elliott to show them Cherry's financial statements. Elliott went to the meeting and told the MCI/World Comm controller David Myers that the statements had not been prepared because of Slovinski's failure to do his job.
Elliott failed to appear for his deposition before trial on several occasions, so a default judgment was entered against him. The case went to trial solely on the issue of damages.
© 2004 PR NewswireFEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION (FEC) FINES.
The FEC recently fined Cherry Communications Inc. and its chairman James R. Elliott $150,000 for using corporate resources to pressure employees to attend a 1992 GOP dinner. The "President's Dinner" raised $9 million for Republican senatorial and congressional candidates, $113,125 from Cherry Communications' employees. The Illinois-based long-distance telephone service company, formerly known as Cherry Payment Systems, made only one contribution in the 1996 election cycle a $10,000 soft money contribution to the Democratic National Committee.
Federal Election Commission fines
Cherry Communications Inc., formerly known as Cherry Payment Systems/James Elliott, Chairman
3672
5/2/97 $150,000.00