O.C. Judge Voids Jury’s Job Retaliation Award

An Orange County judge has ruled that a $1.7-million jury award in a job retaliation case won by the former director of the county’s Office on Aging was excessive, the county’s attorney said Monday.

Superior Court Judge W. Michael Hayes granted the county’s motion for a new trial on the damages portion after Pamela Mokler rejected the judge’s offer of a $125,000 award.

In April, a jury awarded the former director the $1.7 million for being the victim of retaliation and found county Supervisor Chris Norby guilty of creating a hostile work environment. Jurors did not award damages in the claim against Norby.

The amount was the largest awarded an employee who sued Orange County over losing a job, county officials said.

Mokler’s attorney, H. Bryan Card, said the judge abused his discretion in cutting the award and that he would appeal.

During the trial, Card told jurors that county managers forced her out because she protested organizational changes in her office that she believed violated state requirements.

The county argued that Mokler was justly fired because she violated county policy in negotiating contracts.