It’s a complicated case, but a former Collectors Universe employee still hasn’t convinced a California court he’s due $10.5 million for seeing his name on COAs for items he says he didn’t examine.
The California 4th Appellate District Court has issued its second decision in the William Miller case.
Miller had been employed as an officer in the autograph division of Collectors Universe but after he was released from his $150,000 per year post in 2004, PSA/DNA continued to issue certificates of authenticity bearing his name as part of PSA/DNA’s authentication team. Miller claims he had never provided authentication for those items and filed a lawsuit against Collectors Universe.
In November 2005, a jury in Superior Court of California found in Miller’s favor but left the damages up to the Appellate Court. The Superior Court judge did award Miller $14,060 ($1 per signature). Miller believed he was entitled, under California law, to damages of $750 for each alleged use of his name by Collectors Universe without his consent, a claim totalling $10.5 million. Miller’s request for the unprecedented seven-figure judgment was turned down but a rehearing was ordered last September.
The latest court ruling–some 25 pages long–spells out the case background in detail and offers the judge’s reasons behind the decision to again deny Miller’s claim. Miller can still seek a retrial of the entire case.
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