A Bossier Parish jury last week awarded $1.1 billion in a sexual abuse civil suit, the largest civil jury verdict in Louisiana judicial history, according to attorney Ryan Gatti. Pamela Lockridge, 68, who grew up in Bossier City, filed the lawsuit against her now-deceased stepfather, Leroy Edwards, after more than a decade of sexual abuse while she was a child.
Background of the Case
The abuse began in 1962 when Lockridge was four years old and continued until 1976. Edwards was never charged criminally in connection with the abuse. He died in 2023. The jury viewed portions of his preserved deposition testimony. More than 60 years had passed from the beginning of the abuse to the time the jury reached its verdict.
The lawsuit was filed because of Louisiana’s Child Sexual Abuse Look Back Law. It temporarily opened a window, allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims that otherwise may have been barred by a statute of limitation. The legislation permits survivors to present their claims to a jury and have those claims decided on the evidence, regardless of how much time has passed since the abuse occurred, Gatti said.
Verdict and Aftermath
The jury deliberated for just two hours before reaching their verdict. The jury awarded: $500 million for pain and suffering; $585 million for past and future medical and psychological expenses; and $600 million in exemplary damages. The $600 million exemplary damages award is believed to be among the largest exemplary damages awards ever returned by a Louisiana jury for a case involving damages to one person, Gatti said.
Lockridge thanked the jury, saying the case was never about money. “They gave me something I never thought I would receive — a chance to tell the truth and have it believed,” Lockridge said. “I hope this verdict encourages other survivors to know that they are not alone, that what happened to them matters, and that their voices still have value no matter how many years have passed. For the first time in a very long time, I feel that justice has finally spoken.”
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
