Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : COURTS : Disneyland Cancels Suit Settlement Over Stabbing
The legal battle continues between Disneyland and the mother of a man who was stabbed to death in Tomorrowland five years ago.
Mel C. Yorba, 18, was stabbed in 1981. His brother Mark and mother, Ellen Reynolds, of Riverside filed a negligence suit against the park claiming that Yorba did not receive adequate medical care.
In July, a jury agreed with Reynolds and awarded $600,000 to the family. Since then, Reynolds’ attorney, John A. Luetto, confirmed Disneyland and Reynolds had reached a settlement, thereby avoiding a lengthy appeal.
But Disneyland attorney Richard E. McCain said last week that the amusement park will not honor the settlement because Reynolds and Luetto broke a promise to keep it secret.
“The conduct of (Reynolds and Luetto) demonstrates a complete lack of integrity and constitutes material breach of the agreement,” McCain said in court papers filed last Wednesday.
McCain is calling for another trial, alleging that the first jury did not have sufficient evidence.
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