Los Angeles, California (X17online) - Nicollette Sheridan's battery claim against Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry has been dismissed. La Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White issued the verdict Tuesday morning as part of a discussion giving the jury instructions. The ruling means that Cherry is no longer a defendant in the case. Although Sheridan and her lawyers were upset with the decision, they are moving forward with their wrongful termination claims against ABC. Sheridan's character, Edie Britt, was killed off the show following the incident with Cherry, and her counsel believes it was retaliation. The decision to dismiss the battery case comes on the heels of surprise witness Michael Reinhart, who testified that he saw an e-mail in fall 2010 which directed the show's producers and ABC executives to delete all correspondence regarding the killing of Sheridan's character. He also stated that he was reluctant to testify because of...
- 3/14/2012
- x17online.com
Freelance writer Dominic Patten is a Deadline contributor Update, 3:31 Pm: ABC’s VP Litigation Jean Zoeller said on the stand today that she would “absolutely not” tell anyone to delete or erase any correspondence or documents related to Nicollette Sheridan being fired from Desperate Housewives. Zoeller’s testimony came in direct response to potential bombshell testimony earlier today by Michael Reinhart, the Housewives crew member who said he received an email telling him to “possibly” delete any correspondence and documents concerning Sheridan leaving the show. Reinhart said he deleted the email immediately and court officials are examining the hard drive. Under questioning from defense attorney Adam Levin, Zoeller, who sat at the defense table every day of the two-week trial, told the jury she sent out four document preservation memos to make sure everything related to the matter was maintained. Those were sent out to ever expanding distribution lists...
- 3/13/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Actress Nicollette Sheridan has been dealt a huge blow in her ongoing lawsuit against Desperate Housewives bosses and series creator Marc Cherry - a Los Angeles judge has dismissed the battery allegations at the centre of her claim for damages.
Sheridan filed suit in 2010, alleging she was fired from the show after she complained to ABC network executives about an on-set incident with Cherry in 2008, which ended with the writer/producer hitting her on the head to demonstrate an action in a scene.
Testifying in court last week Cherry confessed he had felt awful about striking Sheridan, but explained that he was just acting out what he wanted for a particular shot. He also told the jury that the decision to kill off her character Edie Britt had been made months before the incident.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White issued a direct ruling to dismiss the battery claim due to a lack of evidence. The verdict means Cherry is no longer a defendant, and the case is now solely between Sheridan and ABC network bosses.
Addressing reporters after the ruling, Cherry said, "Obviously I’m thrilled by the judge's decision. But I’m going to withhold further comment until this matter is resolved completely."
The decision wasn't the only shocker in Tuesday's court proceedings - a surprise witness testified that TV bosses planned to delete all correspondence about Sheridan's firing from production computers. As the jury prepared to deliberate on almost two weeks of arguments, Sheridan's legal team presented one final witness - on-set construction co-ordinator Michael Reinhart - who told the court he agreed to come forward and reveal all about an email TV bosses had sent to production managers and officials following Sheridan's departure, because he felt bad about trying to ignore it back in 2008.
Reinhart testified he felt "disturbed" by the email and immediately erased it.
He told Cherry and ABC's lead attorney he could not recall exactly what was in the email, but it included the words "delete," "hard drive" and "producers."
Reinhart also told the court he was a reluctant witness, because of "the professional ramifications" of his testimony on his career. He told L.A. Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White he felt he was committing "professional suicide" by speaking out.
Closing arguments are expected to begin on Tuesday afternoon. The case is expected to be handed to the jury on Wednesday.
Sheridan filed suit in 2010, alleging she was fired from the show after she complained to ABC network executives about an on-set incident with Cherry in 2008, which ended with the writer/producer hitting her on the head to demonstrate an action in a scene.
Testifying in court last week Cherry confessed he had felt awful about striking Sheridan, but explained that he was just acting out what he wanted for a particular shot. He also told the jury that the decision to kill off her character Edie Britt had been made months before the incident.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White issued a direct ruling to dismiss the battery claim due to a lack of evidence. The verdict means Cherry is no longer a defendant, and the case is now solely between Sheridan and ABC network bosses.
Addressing reporters after the ruling, Cherry said, "Obviously I’m thrilled by the judge's decision. But I’m going to withhold further comment until this matter is resolved completely."
The decision wasn't the only shocker in Tuesday's court proceedings - a surprise witness testified that TV bosses planned to delete all correspondence about Sheridan's firing from production computers. As the jury prepared to deliberate on almost two weeks of arguments, Sheridan's legal team presented one final witness - on-set construction co-ordinator Michael Reinhart - who told the court he agreed to come forward and reveal all about an email TV bosses had sent to production managers and officials following Sheridan's departure, because he felt bad about trying to ignore it back in 2008.
Reinhart testified he felt "disturbed" by the email and immediately erased it.
He told Cherry and ABC's lead attorney he could not recall exactly what was in the email, but it included the words "delete," "hard drive" and "producers."
Reinhart also told the court he was a reluctant witness, because of "the professional ramifications" of his testimony on his career. He told L.A. Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White he felt he was committing "professional suicide" by speaking out.
Closing arguments are expected to begin on Tuesday afternoon. The case is expected to be handed to the jury on Wednesday.
- 3/13/2012
- WENN
The plot thickened today in Nicollette Sheridan's trial against Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry as a mystery witness was allowed by Judge Elizabeth Allen White to take the stand. After the bombshell revelation yesterday that a voicemail was sent to Sheridan's attorney Mark Baute alleging an ABC cover-up in regard to the actress's termination from the show, the man who left the message spoke to the court. Michael Reinhart, an eight-year construction coordinator on Desperate Housewives, testified that he had called Baute on Sunday evening to tell him that he had received an email back in the fall of 2010 by accident, remembering that it contained the words "It," "Nicollette ...
- 3/13/2012
- E! Online
"Mystery witness" Michael Reinhart was allowed to testify Tuesday morning at the "Desperate Housewives" trial about emails Nicollette Sheridan's attorneys claimed showed an attempted cover-up of Nicollete Sheridan's firing by ABC. In an anonymous phone call to Sheridan's lead attorney Mark Baute on Sunday night, construction coordinator Reinhart claimed he had erroneously been sent an email intended for his superiors that referred to "a conspiracy." The email, he said, referred to a computer purge of communications about the killing off of Sheridan's character Edie Britt. Reinhart told the jury and a packed courtroom...
- 3/13/2012
- by Todd Cuningham & Pamela Chelin
- The Wrap
Despite strenuous protests from the attorney for Marc Cherry and ABC, the judge in the Desperate Housewives trial allowed a surprise witness to testify Tuesday that he saw an e-mail in fall 2010 that said ABC and Disney planned to delete all e-mails relating to Nicollette Sheridan and the killing of her character from the computer hard drives of show producers. Michael Reinhart, a construction coordinator on Housewives for all eight seasons, said he was "disturbed" by the e-mail but immediately deleted it and tried to forget about it. But he said that proved impossible; after
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- 3/13/2012
- by Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles (AP) -- A judge on Tuesday pared down Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination case by ruling that jurors won't consider a battery claim against her boss on TV's "Desperate Housewives.'' The verdict will now focus solely on whether jurors believe Sheridan was fired from the show because she complained about an on-set dispute with series creator Marc Cherry. Defense attorney Adam Levin said he was pleased with the decision by the judge. Sheridan's attorney Mark Baute said it will simplify deliberations while allowing his client to recoup punitive damages if she wins. Testimony in the case ended Tuesday after nine days. The jury was getting instructions before closing arguments began. Earlier in the day, jurors heard a set worker describe an email he believed called for the destruction of files related to the firing of the actress. Construction coordinator Michael Reinhart took the witness stand over the...
- 3/13/2012
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Los Angeles -- The trial over Nicollette Sheridan's firing from "Desperate Housewives" featured one last twist Monday with the disclosure of a mystery witness who has indicated show officials tried to cover up correspondence related to the actress.
A judge ordered the man to appear in court Tuesday morning to determine whether he will become one of the final witnesses that jurors considering the case will hear from. The man, who was identified as Michael Reinhart, left a message for Sheridan's attorney on Sunday afternoon stating that he mistakenly got an email that suggested that messages related to Sheridan's departure would be purged.
The man on the message said he didn't want to become involved in the case, but by day's end had becoming the latest intriguing thread in a trial that has featured a behind-the-scenes look at "Desperate Housewives" and conflicting testimony on whether Sheridan was struck by...
A judge ordered the man to appear in court Tuesday morning to determine whether he will become one of the final witnesses that jurors considering the case will hear from. The man, who was identified as Michael Reinhart, left a message for Sheridan's attorney on Sunday afternoon stating that he mistakenly got an email that suggested that messages related to Sheridan's departure would be purged.
The man on the message said he didn't want to become involved in the case, but by day's end had becoming the latest intriguing thread in a trial that has featured a behind-the-scenes look at "Desperate Housewives" and conflicting testimony on whether Sheridan was struck by...
- 3/13/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles -- The trial over Nicollette Sheridan's firing from "Desperate Housewives" featured one last twist Monday with the disclosure of a mystery witness who has indicated show officials tried to cover up correspondence related to the actress.
A judge ordered the man to appear in court Tuesday morning to determine whether he will become one of the final witnesses that jurors considering the case will hear from. The man, who was identified as Michael Reinhart, left a message for Sheridan's attorney on Sunday afternoon stating that he mistakenly got an email that suggested that messages related to Sheridan's departure would be purged.
The man on the message said he didn't want to become involved in the case, but by day's end had becoming the latest intriguing thread in a trial that has featured a behind-the-scenes look at "Desperate Housewives" and conflicting testimony on whether Sheridan was struck by...
A judge ordered the man to appear in court Tuesday morning to determine whether he will become one of the final witnesses that jurors considering the case will hear from. The man, who was identified as Michael Reinhart, left a message for Sheridan's attorney on Sunday afternoon stating that he mistakenly got an email that suggested that messages related to Sheridan's departure would be purged.
The man on the message said he didn't want to become involved in the case, but by day's end had becoming the latest intriguing thread in a trial that has featured a behind-the-scenes look at "Desperate Housewives" and conflicting testimony on whether Sheridan was struck by...
- 3/13/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
Closing arguments could begin Tuesday in the "Desperate Housewives" trial, but not before the court rules whether to allow testimony from an 11th-hour witness that Nicollette Sheridan's attorneys say could prove a cover-up by ABC. L.A. Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White late Monday ordered "Desperate Housewives" construction coordinator Michael Reinhart to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. She'll rule at that time whether he will be allowed to testify in front of the jury. Sheridan is seeking $6 million in damages from "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry and ABC for...
- 3/13/2012
- by Todd Cuningham and Pamela Chelin
- The Wrap
A surprise witness likely will be allowed to testify in the Nicollette Sheridan trial, if he can be found and gotten to court Tuesday. Sheridan’s lawyer, Mark Baute, says the witness told him ABC instructed its It department to wipe e-mails and other information about the killing of Sheridan's Desperate Housewives character Edie Britt from all of the producer’s computer hard drives around the time the actress filed her lawsuit. Photos: TV's Priciest Primetime Shows for Advertisers The existence of the witness, who was revealed in open court Monday to be Michael Reinhart, a construction coordinator on the show,
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- 3/13/2012
- by Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Freelance writer Dominic Patten is a Deadline contributor 3Rd Update, 4:30 Pm: Michael Reinhart, credited as a construction coordinator on Desperate Housewives, has been identified as the caller who told Nicollette Sheridan’s lawyer that ABC planned to delete all emails related to Sheridan’s departure after she had filed her original lawsuit. Although IMDb lists him working on Housewives only in 2011, a source with knowledge of Reinhart’s employment history says, “The guy has been on the show since the pilot.” Attempts to contact Reinhart were unsuccessful, so Judge Elizabeth Allen White instructed her clerk to try to reach him directly at the end of the day today in hopes of having him appear in court tomorrow. They want him for what is known as a 402 hearing — it does not require a seated jury to be present — to determine whether he has information that is relevant. This afternoon, during jury instruction,...
- 3/12/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
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