Alabama Football Booster Ray Keller Wins Judgment Against National Collegiate Athletic...
Alabama Football Booster Ray Keller Wins Judgment Against National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA)Jackson County Alabama Jury Awards Hollywood Alabama Resident Ray Keller FiveMillion Dollars in Landmark Defamation and Invasion of Privacy Lawsuit
SCOTTSBORO, Ala., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- A jury in Jackson County Alabamareturned a verdict in favor of Alabama booster Ray Keller in his long runningdefamation and invasion of privacy lawsuit against the most powerful entity incollege athletics. The 5 million dollar jury award is the largest civil juryverdict in Jackson County Alabama in what was the longest running trial everheld in that county. The award is the largest ever against the NationalCollegiate Athletic Association.
The lawsuit was filed in the Jackson County Alabama in February of 2004after the powerful collegiate sports governing body refused to issue aretraction of statements concerning Ray Keller in a 2002 University of AlabamaInfractions Report. The Infractions Report, issued in February of 2002, waspresented at a major national news conference organized and conducted by theNCAA. Included in the Infractions Report and accompanying press conferenceand release was what was labeled by trial experts as an "unprecedentedpersonal attack" on Alabama football fan Ray Keller.
Lead Counsel Archie Lamb from Birmingham, Alabama noted that "The actionsby the governing body of college athletics in this case were deplorable inevery way. The jury verdict confirms that the NCAA defamed Ray Keller withmalicious intent and with reckless disregard for the truth. In over twentyyears as a trial attorney I have never felt a verdict was more appropriate."Lamb concluded "Ray Keller has truly been vindicated and is to be commendedfor his decision to make a stand in this landmark case."
Co-lead counsel Don Word from Scottsboro agreed. "The magnitude of thewrongful action and abusive tactics of the NCAA against a resident of ourcounty was confirmed by a jury of Ray Keller peers. This verdict is anexample of what is right about our system of justice" Word concluded. Thetrial team also included attorney Greg Davis from Montgomery Alabama and KirkWood from Birmingham Alabama.
Trial court Judge John Graham of Jackson County began the trial on October22, 2007. After illness forced Judge Graham to take a temporary leave ofabsence, substitute jurist William Gordon from Montgomery Alabama completedthe trial. The four week trial was conducted over a period of six weeks andincluded testimony by former Alabama head coach Gene Stallings, former NCAACommittee on Infractions Chairman David Swank and sports journalist PaulFinebaum. Additional background information can be found at:www.archielamb.com.
BACKGROUNDER
SUBJECT: Ray Keller v. NCAA; Defamation and Invasion of Privacy Lawsuit
Plaintiff: Ray Keller, Hollywood, Alabama
Defendant: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indianapolis,
Indiana
Judges: The Honorable John Graham, Scottsboro Alabama; The Honorable
William Gordon, Montgomery, Alabama
Trial Dates: October 22, 2007 - November 28, 2007
Court: Circuit Court for Jackson County Alabama
Style of Case: Ray Keller v. National Collegiate Athletic Association
Lead Counsel (Keller): Archie C. Lamb, Birmingham Alabama
www.archielamb.com
Co-Lead Counsel (Keller): R. Don Word, Scottsboro Alabama
Additional Counsel (Keller): Greg Davis, Montgomery, Alabama; E. Kirk
Wood, Birmingham Alabama
Lead Counsel (NCAA): Robert Rutherford, Burr Forman, Birmingham Alabama
Additional Counsel (NCAA): John Morrow, Burr Forman, Birmingham Alabama;
Allen Dodd, Fort Payne Alabama, Eric
Brisendine, Fort Payne, Alabama
Jury Award: $1 Million Mental Anguish, $500,000 Reputation $500,000
Economic, $3 Million punitive. total 5 million
Tags: Largest jury award in Jackson County Alabama; Longest jury trial in
Jackson County Alabama
VIDEO NEWS FEEDS ARE AVAILABLE
INDIVIDUAL ATTORNEY TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS ARE AVAILABLE
Contact
Jenenne Boyd/Kirk Wood
205-612-3547 / 800-324-4425/205-612-0243
jboyd@archielamb.com or ekirkwood1@cs.comSOURCE The Lamb Firm, L.L.C.Jenenne Boyd, +1-205-612-3547, jboyd@archielamb.com; or Kirk Wood,+1-205-612-0243, ekirkwood1@cs.com, both of The Lamb Firm, L.L.C.,1-800-324-4425
