Shasta County in Northern California has agreed to pay $855,600 to settle a lawsuit that accused former District Attorney Jerry Benito of defaming another county employee.
The Redding Record-Searchlight reported the settlement ends a legal fight that began about seven years ago.
A federal jury ruled late last month that Benito and three female co-defendants maliciously defamed Joyce Gardner, former director of the county’s victim witness program.
The jury found the defendants made unfounded accusations against Gardner involving improper payments, an extramarital affair and misappropriation of public funds.
The same jury had been scheduled to meet Monday to determine possible punitive damages against the defendants.
Benito lost his re-election bid for district attorney in 2010 and now works for the state office of the inspector general in Rancho Cucamonga.
Topics Lawsuits
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Zurich Insurance’s Beazley Bid Sets the Stage for More Insurance Deals 
Florida Senate President Says No Major Insurance Changes This Year 
Florida’s Commercial Clearinghouse Bill Stirring Up Concerns for Brokers, Regulators 
What Analysts Are Saying About the 2026 P/C Insurance Market 
