LAS VEGAS, Nev., November 16, 2015 – Early this month, Dickinson Wright Attorneys Brian Irvine and Justin Bustos represented the Mathis family in a case against Lyon County and former Public Administrator Richard Glover regarding items seized and stolen from their late father’s home in 2006. On November 10, 2015, the federal jury came back with a $2.1 million verdict in favor of the Mathis family.
“This is a just result for the Mathis family,” said Brian Irvine, Member in Dickinson Wright’s Reno office. “At its core, this case was about a Nevada county that implemented policies that violated the constitutional rights of its citizens. This case, in particular, demonstrated that Lyon County has overtly violated the constitutional rights of Lyon County citizens for many years. We are happy that we were able to give the Mathis family justice and closure in this case while holding Lyon County accountable for its actions.”
The verdict stems from a civil rights lawsuit filed by Richard Mathis and his two brothers, Anthony and James, who accused Mr. Glover, an elected public official, of illegally seizing and stealing nearly $1 million of heirlooms and other property from the home of their father, Joe Mathis, shortly after his death in 2006.
The jury’s verdict included about $1.6 million in damages against Lyon County and $180,000 in damages against Mr. Glover for emotional distress, as well as about $217,000 in damages against both defendants for stolen property. In addition, the jury ordered Mr. Glover to pay $100,000 in punitive damages. U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon presided over the trial, which began on November 2, 2015. Brian Irvine and Justin Bustos are members of Dickinson Wright’s Litigation Department and have been working with the Mathis family for more than three years to bring this case to conclusion.
Dickinson Wright’s award-winning litigation team is highly regarded for their aggressive strategy, tactics and stand-up advocacy that produces winning results in the courtroom. With offices across the United States and Toronto, our litigators have served at the forefront of business and tort litigation of every kind for major corporations, middle-market entrepreneurial and growth companies, closely-held enterprises and individuals. We provide our clients with a passionate defense that results in quickly and forcefully addressing and resolving our clients’ disputes. To learn more about Dickinson Wright’s litigation practice, please visit us at www.dickinsonwright.com.
About Dickinson Wright PLLC
Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 400 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has fifteen offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and eight other domestic offices in Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn. (2); Las Vegas, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Reno, Nev.; and Washington, D.C. The firm’s Canada office is located in Toronto.
The firm offers clients a distinctive combination of superb client service and exceptional quality. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
