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   Tommy Lee Verdict in Drowning Case

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Topic: Tommy Lee Verdict in Drowning Case (Read 288 times)

Rhune
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Tommy Lee Verdict in Drowning Case
« on: Apr 17^th, 2003, 5:07pm »

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TOMMY LEE VERDICT IN DROWNING CASE
April 17, 2003 | Rocker TOMMY LEE was cleared of any wrongdoing in the drowning of four-year-old DANIEL KARVEN-VERES at a birthday party held at the drummer's home in June 2001. The twelve-person jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning the verdict to a Los Angeles court Thursday morning. Daniel's parents, actress URSULA KARVEN and producer JAMES VERES, filed a civil suit accusing Lee of negligence for failing to have a lifeguard or someone trained in C-P-R on hand at the party. Lee said every child there was supposed to have their own supervision. Daniel came with a nanny, who left the party early to go to a concert, leaving him in the care of another nanny.

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Rhune
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Re: Tommy Lee Verdict in Drowning Case
« Reply #1 on: Apr 17^th, 2003, 5:11pm »

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Tommy Lee Cleared

by Joal Ryan
Apr 17, 2003, 2:25 PM PT

A bittersweet court victory for Tommy Lee.

Jurors on Thursday cleared the ex-Mötley Crüe drummer of liability in the June 2001 accidental drowning death of four-year-old Daniel Karven-Veres, a playmate of Lee and ex-wife Pamela Anderson's son, Brandon.

"Although I am relieved that the court has found me not negligent, there are no winners in this sad situation," Lee said in a statement released by his publicist.

The 12-person panel reached its verdict in a Santa Monica courtroom in speed-metal fashion. The nine women and three men deliberated for just one hour Wednesday, reconvening briefly Thursday morning before deciding to clear Lee.

Lee, who placed the frantic 911 call alerting authorities to Daniel's drowning, remained stoic during the reading of the verdict. He left the courthouse quickly, giving the slip to reporters, but getting stopped by jury foreman Howard Pollack.

Later, Pollack recounted the conversation to reporters, saying he told the rocker, "It was not your responsibility and you shouldn't feel bad."

At issue was a wrongful-death suit filed in February 2002 by German TV star Ursula Karven-Veres and producer James Veres, the parents of the little boy found floating face down in the shallow end of Lee's pool.

In closing arguments on Wednesday, the couple's attorney, Thomas Girardi, asked jurors to consider a $10 million judgment against Lee. Lee's attorney, Jim Baratta, suggested $1 million as a more apt price tag, even as he said he doubted they'd ask Lee to fork over even a dime.

The Vereses accused Lee of negligence, contending the oft-busted bad boy of failing to properly supervise a pool party at his Malibu mansion on the occasion of Brandon Lee's fifth birthday.

Lee's camp countered that the Vereses, who did not attend the party, were at fault for leaving their son in the care of a nanny who left the party to attend a concert, entrusting Daniel to a second nanny who, in the words of Baratta, "didn't do her job at all."

Truly, a civil case in name only.

The trial to settle the lawsuit began last week, with the 40-year-old Lee taking the stand.

Lee, his extensive tattoo collection covered by his sober gray suit and black tie, called the accident "unfortunate," but insisted it wasn't his fault.

In closing arguments, it was left to Baratta to utter the word "sorry," as in, "Of course, Mr. Lee is sorry, but it wasn't his fault what happened."

The Vereses saw things differently. Attorney Girardi argued that the bash was a hastily organized affair, hastily organized because Lee decided on the fly to compete with a birthday party planned for Brandon by Anderson, the former Baywatch star with whom he waged a contentious custody battle.

Girardi accused Lee, late of the band Methods of Mayhem, of inviting "tattooed, hard-drinking buddies" to the kiddie party, and chatting up his therapist ("life coach," per the rocker) while Daniel's body was fished from the pool.

Ex-Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons was among those in attendance. But according to Baratta, the event was hardly fodder for The Dirt, the Crüe's raunchy tell-all autobiography. He said there was just one six-pack of beer on hand, with most adult guests knocking back soda pop and fruit juice.

During the trial, both Vereses took the stand--and both sobbed. Per Karven-Veres, Daniel was "a very happy and contented little boy who loved music and candy and cake and was just so happy to be alive."

Karven-Veres, whom a German writer described to Court TV as the Teutonic Debra Messing ("Somebody who is well known, but has never been on the big screen"), said she and her husband did not know Lee's bash was to be a pool party, thinking it was to involve an "animal show and cake."

And while there was a petting zoo, there also was a pool--a pool that Lee's attorney argued that the Vereses knew about. Baratta said Daniel showed up at the party wearing swim trunks; his mother called them "sports trunks."

Girardi said that Lee should have staffed the party with a lifeguard; Baratta asked the jury, "Who does that?"

« Last Edit: Apr 17^th, 2003, 5:11pm by Rhune »

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