Former ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Nicollette Sheridan was served up another blow in her wrongful termination lawsuit when her bid for a September retrial was put on hold by an appeals court.
Sheridan filed a $20 million lawsuit against Marc Cherry and Touchstone Productions and ABC. During the trial in March 2012 the judge dismissed the battery charge against Cherry for lack of evidence. After deliberation on the charge of wrongful termination, the jury was deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial.
A retrial was scheduled to begin on September 10, 2012. On Friday the California Court of Appeals ruled: “It is ordered that the retrial currently set for September 10 is hereby stayed pending further order of the court.”
Sheridan’s lawyer Mark Baute pointed out that it wasn’t dead in the water yet, ” The temporary stay is designed to clarify and resolve issues before the September trial starts.”
A hearing is set for August 9 before Judge Elizabeth Allen White, where she will make a case for a retrial one last time.
Those following the appeals process believe that the court agrees with defendant Touchstone Television Products and ABC Studios that it was not wrongful termination under state law when Nicollette Sheridan’s contract was not renewed.
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