After a five-week federal jury trial in Sacramento, Yetter Coleman secured a unanimous verdict for a family-owned mining company in California that brought a business civil rights case against the County of Sacramento for violations of procedural and substantive due process rights.
The firm’s clients, Joe and Yvette Hardesty of Hardesty Sand & Gravel, had operated a vested mine on a historic ranch for 30 years. The Hardestys alleged that the County violated their rights by driving the mine out of business for improper reasons at the urging of a large competitor.
Yetter Coleman was lead trial counsel. After a day and a half of deliberations, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of $75.5 million for the Hardestys, in actual and punitive damages, as well as $31.3 million for the co-plaintiff Schneider family, who own the land.
Our trial team was Paul Yetter, Collin Cox, Robert Ellis, Autry Ross, Jane Ray, and Ari Aramesh. The firm’s appellate team of Christian Ward and Lonny Hoffman assisted throughout the case.