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Texas jury rejects lawsuit against Osteen's wife
2008-08-14
HOUSTON - The wife of televangelist Joel Osteen thanked and praised God after a jury unanimously decided Thursday that she did not assault a flight attendant during an alleged tirade over a stain on her first-class seat. Jurors rejected Continental Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown's claims that Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the left breast while attempting to rush the cockpit because she was angry that a stain on her seat's armrest was not quickly cleaned up. Victoria Osteen began to cry after the jury's verdict was read. She hugged her attorneys and several supporters in the courtroom as she said "thank you God" and "praise God." The 12 jurors deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours. "I'm glad it's over," Victoria Osteen said afterward. "I expected it because it's the truth and I know the truth always stands firm." Joel Osteen said he and his family hold no ill will toward Brown. "It's a great vindication and shows us the faithfulness of God," he said. Brown was suing for at least $405,000 for physical and mental pain suffered as a result of the attack she alleged had occurred before takeoff aboard a December 2005 flight from Houston to Vail, Colo. Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie, said afterward, "We're disappointed in the verdict." Victoria Osteen, the co-pastor of Houston's popular Lakewood Church, testified that the alleged assault never happened, as did her husband and other first-class passengers. Victoria Osteen's lawyer dismissed Brown's lawsuit as a made-up story concocted to land a courtroom payday. Another flight attendant, Maria Johnson, supported Brown's claims. Both flight attendants testified they had to block the cockpit door to prevent Victoria Osteen from getting inside. Brown's side earlier sought an apology and punitive damages amounting to 10 percent of Victoria Osteen's net worth as part of her lawsuit. Victoria Osteen's attorney, Rusty Hardin, has declined to discuss her finances. It was unclear what percentage of her net worth the $405,000 might be. In his closing argument earlier Thursday, Hardin described the incident as a verbal dispute, and labeled Brown's claims that she suffered injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder a "sacrilege" and a "blasphemy." The jury's foreman, Gilles Labbe, said he and other jurors believed what happened on the plane was only a minor dispute between a passenger and one or more of the flight attendants. "My personal point of view (the lawsuit) was a complete waste of time because the incident didn't rise to any kind of level. I fly all the time. I've seen a lot worse than that happen on airplanes." Brown quickly left the courtroom without talking to reporters, but in a brief statement her attorney read, she said, "We gave the truth to the jury. We are happy we had an opportunity to try our case." The Osteens are co-pastors of Lakewood Church, which draws about 42,000 people each week for services. Joel Osteen's weekly television address is broadcast in the U.S. and internationally and his books are sold around the globe. The Osteens paid a $3,000 fine the Federal Aviation Administration levied against Victoria Osteen for interfering with a crew member but testified they did that to put it behind them.
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