Friday, December 17, 1999
Paul Voinovich's firm did shoddy work, jury says
Senator's brother must repay $13.3M
The Associated Press
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — A jury has ordered V Group, an architectural and construction management business run by U.S. Sen. George Voinovich's brother, to pay $13.3 million because of problems with its work on a county jail in Steubenville.
Paul Voinovich's spokesman, Tom Andrzejewski, said Thursday no decision had been made on an appeal. “The V Group is disappointed in the verdict and it disagrees with it,” he said.
The verdict Wednesday night ended a nine-week trial over allegations of cost overruns, delays and shoddy workmanship at the Jefferson County jail. The Cleveland-based V Group blamed the county commissioners for most of the delays and increased costs.
The county hired the V Group in 1992 to design a 140-bed jail. The company's responsibilities later were expanded to include assisting in the supervision of construction.
Ground was broken in November 1994, and construction was completed in January 1998, almost 19 months behind schedule. The project originally was estimated to cost $15.4 million to $15.8 million but wound up costing more than $25 million.
Jefferson County Prosecutor Stephen M. Stern said the jury “agreed with what we alleged, that the design was faulty and the V Group didn't do the job.”
U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. earlier had dismissed many of the most serious claims against the V Group. But Judge Sargus ruled that breach-of-contract and negligence claims were substantial enough to be presented to a jury.
“I feel sorry for Paul Voinovich and the hardworking people of the V Group,” Tom Rosenberg, an attorney for the company, said after the verdict. “They don't deserve this decision.”
The jury also ordered Mascaro Co. of Pittsburgh, the jail's general contractor, to pay the county $1.7 million.
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