DALLAS, TEXAS, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 – Michael Pezzulli and the Law Office of Michael F. Pezzulli are being inducted into the Texas Lawyer’s inaugural Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame for the Intentional Tort jury verdict he obtained in a 2016 domestic violence case, Escamilla v. Arreola.
Michael F. Pezzulli served as lead attorney for the trial team that included the late Doug Mulder. A Dallas County State District Court jury found Jose Arreola liable for a vicious attack on Maria Escamilla, his former girlfriend, and awarded Escamilla $40,650,000.00 for the Intentional Tort of Family Violence and Intimate Partner Violence. Arreola sexually assaulted Escamilla, inflicted lacerations that required over 500 stitches to close, broke virtually every bone in her face, and left her for dead. The stunning verdict was the highest financial award issued to a domestic violence survivor in 2016. In a CBS DFW interview, Pezzulli stated “People don’t give a $40 million dollar verdict every day. I think this jury understood they had an opportunity to make a statement that could be heard throughout the country.” In spite of life-altering chronic pain resulting from her injuries, Escamilla has become an advocate inspiring other domestic violence victims to break the cycle of abuse and report their attackers.
Texas Lawyer and Verdict Search reviewed the top 100 Texas verdicts since 2010, and selected honorees in six practice areas. The winners will be honored at the Texas Hall of Fame event at the Belo Mansion in Dallas on Nov. 12, 2019. The full list of Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame honorees is available here.
Michael Pezzulli has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for thirty-three years. He has been a trial lawyer in Texas for more than forty years. Pezzulli serves clients from his Dallas office. For more information, visit his website.