Cinemark, which owns the Aurora, Co., theater where 12 people were murdered in 2012, is seeking nearly $700,000 from several victims of the attack who unsuccessfully sued the theater chain, reports the Denver Post.
Cinemark filed a “bill of costs” for $699,187.13 in Arapahoe County District Court. Colorado court rules say the winning side in a civil case is allowed to recover its litigation costs. The victims — more than two dozen survivors of the shooting and parents of those killed in it — alleged that security lapses such as a lack of armed guards on duty or gaps in security camera coverage helped enable the attack, which also wounded 70 people. A jury last month found that the company was not liable for the shooting.
Last week, a judge overseeing a similar case in federal court filed by a different group of victims also decided in Cinemark’s favor. The judge’s order in that case says Cinemark is “awarded reasonable costs.” More than half of the victims involved in the federal case settled for undisclosed terms with Cinemark before the judge’s order. One said the possibility of having to pay the company’s legal fees was a factor in his decision to settle.