$2.4 Million Damages Awarded : Litigation: County is excluded from paying that amount after agreeing to cover other penalties assessed against Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

A Superior Court jury has awarded just under $2.4 million in punitive damages to a businessman who contends that Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich conspired to influence a judge on behalf of a campaign contributor.

But Antonovich and the county will not have to pay those damages, which were assessed only against the campaign donor, Krikor Suri, his company and its partners.

In exchange for a guarantee of immunity from punitive damages, the county has agreed to pay Antonovich’s unspecified share of an earlier award of $1.2 million in compensatory damages.

The agreement drew criticism because county taxpayers could end up footing the bill for compensatory damages if the civil judgment withstands an appeal.

Critics contend that the agreement amounts to a sweetheart deal for Antonovich because, under state law, counties are not required to pay punitive damages.

Principal Deputy County Counsel J. Patrick Joyce said, however, that despite their immunity, counties typically decide to pay punitive damages on behalf of employees who contend--as does Antonovich--that they were sued over actions taken in their official capacity.

“It’s a great advantage to the county not to have to deal with whether to pay for the punitive damages,” Joyce said Tuesday. “It would have been a slam-dunk that he was found to be acting within the course and scope of his official duties.”

Supervisor Gloria Molina, who said earlier that she would demand that Antonovich pay the compensatory damages himself, did not raise the issue at Tuesday’s board meeting because she said county attorneys told her that legal matters may be discussed only in private executive sessions.

Jim Mihalka, a conservative Republican who ran against Antonovich last year, addressed the board Tuesday, questioning Antonovich’s integrity and calling on him to resign.

Antonovich did not respond during the meeting, but later characterized Mihalka’s testimony as “a political statement by an unsuccessful candidate.”

The lawsuit alleged that Antonovich telephoned then Superior Court Judge Eric Younger almost five years ago on behalf of Suri and his partners, whose jewelry business was being sued by Avedis Kasparian.

Antonovich--who represents the sprawling 5th District, which includes parts of the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Antelope and San Gabriel valleys--has acknowledged calling the judge, but denies any impropriety. He said he was offering the judge his good opinion of Suri’s character.

Two months after Antonovich’s call, Younger excused himself from the case. In a deposition, Younger said he was “uncomfortable about the call either having an impact or the appearance of an impact.”

Kasparian then sued the county, Antonovich, Suri, Jak Sukyas and Western Jewelry Mart Joint Venture and its partners over the phone call. Last week, a Norwalk Superior Court jury ruled in favor of Kasparian and awarded him $3.6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

With regard to the $1.2 million in compensatory damages, the jury held all the defendants equally liable without assessing each one separately.

But with regard to the $2,378,000 in punitive damages, the jury separately assessed each eligible defendant. Suri is liable for $380,000, Jak Sukyas for $598,000 and Western Jewelry Mart Joint Venture and its partners for $1.4 million, said Bruce Altschuld, Kasparian’s attorney.

Joyce said the county may wind up owing nothing in compensatory damages because he plans to appeal the case and ask the judge to reduce the damages. And if the judgment stands, the county plans to sue the other defendants to force them to pay the damages, he said.

But Joyce acknowledged that the county could wind up footing the bill because Western Jewelry Mart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.