Checking again on Ford Motor Company’s troubles in Crystal City, this Chronicle article reports on the hearing in regard to Ford’s motion to set aside the $28 million jury verdict that a jury rendered against Ford in a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this year. Ford’s motion is based on a variety of grounds, including the following information that was confirmed during the hearing about the original jury foreman in the trial:

[The original jury foreman] acknowledged on the stand she and [the plaintiff’s lawyer] were romantically involved, that she had helped him sign up clients for this case and had worked for him as a jury consultant in other cases.
But, she said, those factors did not affect her ability to be fair as a juror in the case.

Yeah, right. And if you believe that, I’ve got some swamp property near Beaumont that will be a nice weekend getaway spot for you and your family.
Incredibly, the girlfriend’s relationship with the plaintiff’s lawyer was not her only connection with the case:

In addition to her relationship with [the plaintiff’s lawyer], [the girlfriend’s] sons from a previous marriage were first cousins to one of the deceased victims.

What has not been reported is how the girlfriend was able to hide her relationship with the plaintiff’s lawyer from Ford’s attorneys during the voir dire (i.e., questioning) of the jurors before trial. Likewise, there has been no report yet on the rationalization of the plaintiff’s attorney as to why he did not disclose his relationship with the girlfriend before she was placed on the jury. Depending on the answers to those questions, both the girlfriend and the plaintiff’s lawyer may have much bigger legal problems than having a $28 million verdict set aside.
Crystal City is about 90 miles southwest of San Antonio near the Texas-Mexico border. Here is a KSAT.com story on the proceedings.