Cinemark Drops $700,000 Claim Against Aurora Theater Shooting Victims, Ending Legal Battle
Putting an end to a painful legal episode, Cinemark today dropped a claim of $700,000 in legal costs against victims of the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting.
The victims sued the theater chain contending it did not do enough to prevent the 2012 shooting at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” which left 12 people dead and wounded 70 others. But in May, a jury in state court sided with Cinemark, whose attorneys argued that the shooting could not have been foreseen or prevented.
Under Colorado law, the cinema chain was entitled to recoup costs from the victims, which it pegged at $700,000. Earlier this month, Cinemark reached an agreement with all but four of the plaintiffs to drop the costs in exchange for an agreement not to pursue an appeal. Today, the remaining four holdouts also agreed not to appeal, and Cinemark dropped the claim for legal fees.
“All plaintiffs in this matter have now waived appeal of the jury’s verdict and the case can now be deemed completely over,” Cinemark’s lawyers said in the filing. “Defendants’ goal has always been to resolve this matter fully and completely without an award of costs of any kind to any party.”
Some of the victims also filed a federal lawsuit against Cinemark, which a judge dismissed. Though most of the federal plaintiffs have agreed not to appeal that ruling, two victims who were paralyzed in the attack are still pursuing an appeal, according to the Denver Post. Cinemark has not provided an estimate of its legal costs in that case.
Related stories
Concession Spending Feeds AMC's Plan to Buy European Theater Chain Odeon-UCI
Judge Dismisses Lawsuits Against Cinemark Over 2012 Aurora Theater Shooting
Cinemark Not Liable in Colorado Theater Shooting, Jury Finds
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
