Lawsuit Claims Campaign Contributions Influenced Ruling by Former Judge Mike Maggio

CONWAY, AR - Misdeeds by a disgraced Arkansas judge have coming to light as a family that lost a loved one in a central Arkansas nursing home plans to sue. 

A family whose jury-awarded settlement was cut  by former Judge Mike Maggio is planning to go back to court.

In March allegations were made that campaign donations by the owner of nursing homes around the state were in exchange for the reduced jury verdict in a negligence case.

The attention to Maggio began when an Arkansas blog called "Blue Hog Report" revealed the former Judge was the person behind posts revealing a confidential adoption by actress Charlize Theron.

After a judicial investigation, Maggio was stripped of his judgeship by the Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission.

The attorney for the family filed the lawsuit Tuesday (11/18) naming three defendants including Maggio as well as five additional unnamed defendants.

The suit outlined a previous wrongful death suit, the decisions made by Maggio that corresponded with donations by the defendant in that case that's also a defendant in the latest suit.

Now the family wants money they say they're owed.

The lawsuit filed in Faulkner County by the attorney for the family of Martha Bull, who died in a Greenbrier nursing home, claims Maggio received campaign contributions that influenced his decision in the case.

After the 2013 trial a jury awarded Bull's estate $5.2 million.

The defendant in that case, Michael Morton, appealed the amount and Maggio later lowered it to $1 million.

The lawsuit points out that Morton, on the day of the ruling, donated $21k to different political action committees, which were all believed to be funneled to Maggio's campaign for Appellate Judge.

The family claims Morton intended to reduce the jury verdict.

Their lawsuit names Maggio and Morton along with Gilbert Baker, who allegedly acted as an agent for Maggio soliciting campaign contributions.

The family has asked for punitive damages as a result of "judicial corruption and having been denied their constitutional rights".

We spoke to the family earlier this year when they first learned of the claims.

Rosey Perkins said, "To most of us it didn't seem right but we're just a family that tries to take care of ourselves."

As of Tuesday evening, Maggio's attorney says her client has not been served the lawsuit and had no comment on anything the lawsuit claimed.

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Lawsuit Claims Campaign Contributions Influenced Ruling by Former Judge Mike Maggio