Anti-Child Trafficking Rescuer Dismissed with Prejudice from Alleged Abuse Case
Sunset Blvd. Investigations (SBI) were hired by Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP as their chief investigator. SBI’s investigator, Steve Polak and the SBI team, first began working the case in December 2023 and concluded their investigation in mid-2024 with exceptional results for the client!
On June 27, 2024, a Utah Court dismissed all claims against Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP’s client Timothy Ballard with prejudice. BKLW partners Thomas H. Bienert, Jr. and Whitney Z. Bernstein, associates Alexis Paschedag Federico and Nancy J. Sandoval, and paralegals Toni Thomas and Miriah Edwards represented Mr. Ballard. Ms. Federico successfully argued the Motion to Dismiss before Third District Court Judge Kristine Johnson.
Plaintiff Jordana Bree Righter sued Mr. Ballard, the founder and former CEO of an anti-child trafficking organization who has been named as a defendant in multiple cases due to his anti-trafficking work. The Plaintiff filed claims against Mr. Ballard based on harm she allegedly sustained at the hands of others when she volunteered to go undercover and in related training.
The Court found that the Plaintiff’s claims against Mr. Ballard were permanently barred by the Release of Liability clause in the Independent Contractor Agreement she signed. The Court also found that even if the agreement had not precluded the Plaintiff’s claims, her vague allegations were factually insufficient to sustain any claim against Mr. Ballard. The Court also found that her conspiracy claim, as pleaded, was barred by the intracorporate immunity doctrine and that she failed to identify a legal duty Mr. Ballard owed the Plaintiff that would give rise to a negligence claim.
“We are pleased the Court in this case reached the correct result and grateful for the swift resolution of this matter on Mr. Ballard’s behalf,” said Ms. Federico.
Mr. Ballard, in a written statement, expressed his gratitude to the Court for recognizing the case’s lack of merit and criticized plaintiff’s claims for negatively impacting anti-trafficking efforts.
Meet our investigators: https://www.sunsetblvdinv.com/team/
Professional Memberships:
- The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) https://thepbsa.org/
- Southern California Fraud Investigators Association (SCFIA) https://scfia.org/
- World Association of Detectives (WAD) https://www.wad.net/
- California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI) https://www.cali-pi.org/
- California Narcotics Officers’ Association (CNOA) – https://www.cnoa.org/
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Call today at 888-406-0149 to contact us and request a consultation!
Need a private investigator?
Sunset Blvd. Investigations, Inc. provides seasoned and effective private investigation services for clients throughout the United States and Internationally. Our combined 80 years as law enforcement officers coupled with our private investigative experience distinguishes us from all other investigation businesses. If you’re in need of a private investigator, we’re here to assist you in any way we can.
