Family of O.C. Attendant Hails Jury’s Verdict

Relatives of a flight attendant killed in the 1988 crash of Pan American World Airways Flight 103 hailed a New York jury’s decision against the airline and its security company as a step toward resolving a separate lawsuit filed by the families of flight crew members.

Friday’s federal court victory, which found Pan Am and Alert Management Inc. guilty of willful misconduct, benefits families of passengers among the 270 people killed when a bomb smuggled aboard exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, nearly four years ago.

“We are quite happy for the families of the passengers,” said Ted Reina, whose daughter, 26-year-old flight attendant Joscelyn Kim Reina, was one of 16 crew members killed. “We know a lot of them. This will help them to heal.”

Attorney Judson Francis Jr., who represents the Reinas and the families of two other crew members, said the verdict could save his clients from having to endure a trial to recover monetary damages against the lone defendant, the Alert security company.

Since Alert, Pan Am’s security agent, was also found to have engaged in willful misconduct, Francis said he would file a request in federal court Monday asking the court to apply the same jury finding against Alert in the crew member case.

“We probably don’t want to put these families through a trial,” Francis said. “But the case is not complicated. All we have to prove is simple negligence.”

Francis, who also represents the Westminster family of Jerry Avritt, a flight engineer killed in the crash, said his case would have been scheduled for trial some time this fall.