Defense lawyers apparently convinced they can win the 6-year-old whistle-blower employment dispute involving the decorated Air Force Veteran and former employee despite loss of some summary judgment motions in federal court
The latest information on the six-year-old lawsuit by the former Community College Director of Aviation, Dan Hamilton, against Yavapai Community College, NorthAire, and Guidance Academy is that a trial has been set by the federal district court in Phoenix for late March or early April of 2020. Lawyers for the defendants are no doubt confident that they can win the action before a jury despite losing some portions of their efforts to dismiss the case via a series of summary judgment motions scattered over the past six years.
Hamilton is a professional aviator, a veteran and a decorated former F-16 fighter pilot who served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1997 to 2007. He reportedly started his job with Yavapai College in Sept. 6, 2011, and was terminated on or about May 31, 2012. (His claims are outlined in earlier Blog posts; see “lawsuits” index.)
Recall that the parties met on July 11 in Flagstaff for a settlement conference. However, no agreement could be reached.
The case, which has dragged on for over six years, has obviously driven the various defense lawyer fees high (there have been a half dozen or more defense lawyers associated in one way or another with the case.) A jury trial will mean even more revenue in the pockets of the defense lawyers, regardless of the outcome. Apparently, there is little concern about the defense lawyer fees as it is believed they will be (or already are being) paid out of an insurance trust fund of some sort, although this issue has never been publicly addressed and explained by the Governing Board. One way or another, the fees will come from taxpayers.