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First Lady Michelle Obama20 photos - Wed, Jan 25, 2012See latest photos » OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma jury decided in favor of native son superstar singer Garth Brooks on Tuesday, saying a hospital company defrauded him by accepting a $500,000 donation and failing to honor his request to name a building for his late mother.
The jury decided on Tuesday evening to award Brooks $1 million, according to Hardy Watkins, vice president of marketing and communications for the hospital company, Integris Health.
The total includes Brooks's original donation as actual damages plus another $500,000 in punitive damages.
Brooks made the donation in 2005 and said in the lawsuit he had a verbal deal with the president of Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital to have a women's center named after his mother, Colleen, who died of cancer in 1999.
Integris is the largest health care system in Oklahoma.
According to court documents, James Moore, the hospital president, said that no promises were ever made to Brooks but that discussions were held about the possibilities.
Brooks had an anonymous $500,000 check sent to the hospital in December 2005, but it wasn't until a few weeks later, after Brooks called the hospital, that hospital officials said they knew the check was sent by the country music legend.
Brooks sued Integris Rural Health Inc. in 2009 after the hospital refused to return his donation.
Watkins said Integris tried to return the $500,000 to Brooks after the singer filed his lawsuit, but the offer was turned down. Integris had not offered to return the money before the lawsuit was filed because it was hopeful an agreement could be reached with Brooks, he said.
Brooks and his attorneys argued that Moore "lured" the singer into making the donation.
The hospital, located on Garth Brooks Boulevard in Yukon, Oklahoma, where the singer grew up and where his name adorns the town's water tower, never built the women's center and never spent the $500,000 donation, court testimony showed.
Because of Brooks' fame and reputation, hospital officials acknowledged before the trial that their side of the case would not be popular. "In the court of public opinion, we're not going to win," said Watkins.
On Tuesday, however, Watkins declined to attribute the jury's decision to Brooks's popularity.
"We are very disappointed the jury awarded dollars above the original donation," he said, calling the verdict "surprising and disturbing."
Brooks, 49, and his wife, singer Trisha Yearwood, who live on a ranch near the Tulsa suburb of Owasso, signed autographs and chatted with fans after each court session of the week-long trial.
Brooks, now semi-retired, was named the world's top-selling solo artist in 2007 by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 123 million albums sold.
(Reporting By Steve Olafson; Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Peter Bohan)
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All Comments Shared On Facebook Top Locations Top Locations New York Edinburg Winnipeg Stockton San Francisco Washington Charleston Howard St Louis Pleasanton Vancouver Oklahoma City Atlanta Milwaukee Lynbrook Gainesville Miami Lawrence Yukon Kaslo 121 comments Popular Now Newest Oldest Most Replied
OldDan • 1 day 9 hrs ago ya know, if the hospital had just fulfilled this contract, they may have discovered he was going to be even more generous. I guess the hospital will never know now.
hookedonharley • 1 day 12 hrs ago the price of a Tylenol just doubled at that hospital
Mystery Hunter • Albany, New York • 1 day 11 hrs ago If you read the article you would see that Garth donated that money to have a womans center built, not just to name it after his mom that died of cancer. They never started even building it for 4 years before he called about the donation. The story lacks the truth! It is Public knowledge that the time line of calls is off in this article. I am glad he got it back Plus punitive damages. He has donated more Money to help others than most rich singers have! I am sure he will find a place that will honor there word and he will donate 1 mil this time!
Joe L • Lake Worth, Florida • 1 day 9 hrs ago I agree with jury. Companies that have taken over USA health system are a TOTAL CROOKS, interested only and only in their own earnings and could care less for doctors or nurses they employ.Not to even mention patients!!!!
Vinman • St James, New York • 1 day 10 hrs ago He gave you 500k and you had a agreement. What was the problem? Good for you Garth for keeping them honest. My apologies to your mom.
Farmgal • 1 day 11 hrs ago Wonder why the hospital didnt build a new wing and spend that money he gave them. It would have been so easy to do that and name it after his Mom. Now the public in that area will lose an additional facility and medical resources. Obviously, they wanted those funds for a different purpose. Shame on the hospital administrators.
Rodney T • Suwanee, Georgia • 1 day 9 hrs ago I am glad he won. Why did it have to get to the point of filing a lawsuit. They rolled the dice and lost twice. Love it. They deserved to lose. Nobody is donating that kind of money w/o something in return. How hard was it to name a wing after his mother who died. That is where they messed up. You don't mess with someone who is grieving.
ole fan • Gainesville, Florida • 1 day 10 hrs ago He got a million back so now he could build a womens center and name it after his mom. Am sure with other recording artists they could keep it operating.
PhoneyBarry • 1 day 11 hrs ago a $1000.00 sign with his mother's name would have fixed this whole deal...the hospitalexecutives are just plain stupid and brooks should have had something in writing...this is a case of extreme #$%$ on both ends
Albert • 1 day 10 hrs ago Good for Garth. I am sure this has happened many times before. Some hospitals have the same arrogance of many other entities. Give us your money and we will use it as we please.
Not Today • 1 day 10 hrs ago How could Integris be that stupid? I guess even if your Garth Brooks you can't accept a man at his word. Screw that hospital.
marshall g • Washington, District of Columbia • 1 day 10 hrs ago Again i do not understand some of you people why in the world are you thinking a hospital is not for profit today hospital groups leader makes million a year one that runs a nice large healthcare group makes 145 million a year as a salary and you want to be a a hospital side these groups makes billions a year off your health and if you do not think i am right then check you health care group and see how much money the person of that group makes a year it is a business and business is good.
JP • 1 day 10 hrs ago Man, I would name my house after anybody's name for 50 grand, come to think 500K I'd wear a sign with your name too!
S • 1 day 9 hrs ago And the moral is, don't lie to people just to get their money!
IBD • 1 day 10 hrs ago Hospital administrators are only second to Wall Street insiders on the list of crooks
Escorpio • Miami, Florida • 1 day 11 hrs ago The least the hospital executives should do is resign, today.
iowan4u1234 • Des Moines, Iowa • 1 day 11 hrs ago Hospitals are like used car dealers. Lots of crooks there. I know I worked in one and they tried to cheat the medicare and medicaid payment as much as possible.
A good catholic hospital at that.
ministerzel • 1 day 10 hrs ago They should have returned the money when originally asked amid disagreement about their use of the money. Their wanting to return the money AFTER a suit was filed was too late. He deserves punitive damages...and the bad press.
Kitty • 1 day 1 hr ago This is great. They offered to give the money back when they couldn't come to an agreement and he refused, so now they have to pay him double! What ever happened to just being charitable instead of demanding that your family's name should be on buildings? I'm so tired of rich people thinking they can buy everything and having their name on everything for all the peons to see.
ole fan • Gainesville, Florida • 1 day 10 hrs ago The hospital never built the womens center. More Post a comment [[ [['Dekraai', 10]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/mourners-remember-seal-beach-shooting-victims-1318620627-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/3/2c/32c8e92d889f42edb719cb5257afdf4e.jpeg', '461', ' ', 'Reuters/Lori Shepler',],[ [['iPhone 4SXXXXXXX', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/thousands-line-up-for-apple-s-iphone-4s-1318602841-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/f/4f/f4f15e8f6f323f5386dc9fdf9e15dca8.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth',]][ [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], '27013743', '0'],[ [['keyword', 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ]] You on Yahoo! News Your Activity |Social: OFFON Turn Social ONRemind me when I share|Options What is this?Not you? Log out of FacebookHow to remove this experienceLogin with FacebookNews For YouItaly ship captain "wasted precious hour"Drew Carey & Fiancee Call Off EngagementMom Who Lost Kids, Parents in Christmas Fire Attempted Suicide: ReportBrad Pitt Marrying Angelina and Having More KidsShock Over 10th U.S. President’s Grandsons Still LivingMan gets car ban after 4 children found in trunkBill Would Ban Aborted Fetuses in FoodBrewer says she meant no disrespect toward ObamaNASA's 'impossibly beautiful' photo of EarthPelosi: Gingrich Will ‘Never’ Be President, ‘There Is Something I Know’Remake America
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