Jesse James Proves Victorious Once Again

Jury finds in favor of Sandra's ex in a civil suit brought by a clothing firm that claimed he cheated them out of a deal with Walmart

By Natalie Finn, Josh Grossberg Jul 20, 2010 10:15 PMTags
Jesse JamesGSI Media

Jesse James is having quite a day.

Just hours after a family court commissioner cleared the way for him to move to Austin, Texas, with daughter Sunny, a jury ruled that he didn't screw a former business partner out of a multimillion-dollar apparel deal with Walmart.

He does have to pay some penance, but it's relatively minor compared with the $6 million the plaintiff was asking for.

James, whose countersuit for misrepresentation was rejected as well, was ordered to pay $167,607.75 to Vernon, Cailf.-based Fortune Fashions Industries for two other clothing contracts separate from the Walmart battle.

In complaints filed in 2007 and 2008, Fortune Fashions alleged the West Coast Choppers boss abruptly pulled out of an agreement to create a line of workwear called America's Brand for Walmart, but then went ahead and launched the line anyway under his own name.

All told, FFI claims it was owed more than $6 million by James and his licensing company, Vanilla Gorilla. James fired back with a countersuit, insisting he was the one done wrong.

FFI banked its case on James' less than solid reputation, seemingly giving a nod to his marital infidelities during closing arguments.

"This is a man who's disconnected to any moral compass," said FFI attorney Lawrence Nagler. "He will say anything he wants to say about anything. But you know what, this is the moment of truth.

"He cut us out of the deal, he torpedoed it and took it for himself," said Nagler. "He told us the deal was dead."

Meanwhile, James' lawyer, Joseph Yanny, offered counterpoint.

"'There is not a shred of evidence supporting any of their lawsuits," he said, adding that the two sides did not put their workwear deal in writing and that the allegations are based on oral statements that "should be viewed skeptically."

And despite his personal failings, Yanny hailed James as a self-made entrepreneur.

Said the lawyer: "He started working with his hands as a young kid and scratched and clawed his way from humble beginnings."

"He's been through a lot and losing this one would have broken his heart," Yanny said after hearing the verdict today.

And here's a fun fact: Hayley Carradine, wife of actor Keith Carradine, was on the jury.

"There were two lawyers that fought like hell for their sides," was all she had to say after court.

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Take a tour of Jesse James' New Bachelor pad here.