L.A. Superior Court Judge Orders Opponent to Return Substantial Fees/Costs He Had Paid Before Appellate Court Reversal.
In our September 9, 2010 post on Cussler v. Crusader Entertainment, we described the litigation saga between Alhambra-born adventure writer Clive Cussler and Crusader Entertainment (now Bristol Bay Productions) over the 2005 movie flop “Sahara.” The Second District Court of Appeal basically reversed a judgment against Mr. Cussler as well as a $14.2 million fee/costs award (which he had paid while the dispute continued in the various courts), and then remanded to the trial court to determine what next should be done.
Well, that shoe apparently dropped on February 8, 2011 when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason directed Bristol Bay Productions to pay the author back the fees/costs he previously had paid (the $14.2 million which had grown to about $22.5 million when interest is counted). Thanks to City News Service’s February 11, 2011 post on the online version of the Pasadena-Star News for the update. At the time, we said “Holy smokes, Batman,” and that phrase is a deserving refrain this time too.
