Jury awards more than $2 million in punitive damages in Dominic Foppoli civil sex assault trial

In the first floor hallway of Sonoma County’s civil courthouse, there was some celebration and laughter, deep sighs of relief and tears as the group that has gathered religiously for two months took in a second and final verdict from the jury weighing sexual assault allegations from seven Jane Does against former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli.

After just an hour and a half of deliberation, the jury that earlier found Foppoli liable in sexual assault claims going back to 2001 determined Wednesday, Sept. 16, he must also pay more than $2 million in punitive damages to his accusers.

The new verdict, adding to $13 million in compensatory damages awarded last week, brought an end to an intense and emotional eight-week trial, closely watched by a community rocked by the allegations against Foppoli, a once-ascendant political figure.

In April 2021, the San Francisco Chronicle published claims by four women against Foppoli, and by the end of the next month, 13 women had come forward.

The California Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation but announced in March 2024 there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges.

In April 2022, seven women filed the civil suit that went to trial July 15 in Sonoma County Superior Court. A separate civil sexual assault case, filed by Farrah Abraham, a social media influencer and former reality television star, is expected to go to trial early next year.

“Dominic Foppoli counted on our silence. He never counted on us finding each other,” said Sophia Henderson, until now identified in the lawsuit and court case as Jane Doe 3. “For years, each of us carried our own story. Today, we stand together … as seven women whose evidence was heard, tested and believed by a jury.

“This verdict cannot return what was taken from us, and it cannot erase the years we spent waiting for accountability, but it does put the truth on the record,” Henderson said outside the courthouse. “It shows what can happen when survivors find one another, stand together and refuse to be silenced.”

Jane Doe 4, who identified herself outside court Wednesday as Allison Britton, recounted how she and her fellow plaintiffs were asked during the trial “to speak about some of the most painful, private and difficult moments of our lives” in a public courtroom.

“We were questioned, we were challenged, we were cross-examined, and every day we came back. Today, we leave knowing that we were seen, we were heard, and we were believed,” she said. “What happened to us will always be a part of our stories, but it does not get to define the rest of them … . Now the healing can begin.”

After 30 hours of deliberation, the jury on Friday, Sept. 11, ordered Foppoli to pay a combined $13 million in actual damages — covering lost earnings, past and future costs related to therapy and medical bills, and non-economic harms — to the seven women who filed suit against him.

By contrast, punitive damages are meant to reflect the egregiousness of a defendant’s actions and deter future misconduct.

One juror on the case, who identified himself as Julian E., said outside court Wednesday the jury’s resounding verdicts, both unanimous, in favor of the plaintiffs came down to the “believability” of the Jane Does and supporting witnesses as well as what he described as “an absolute pattern of behavior” by Foppoli established during the trial.

“My decisions in the jury room were not just for the Jane Does,” he said. “This trial was also about bringing more visibility to this issue.”

Foppoli has maintained his innocence since allegations against him first surfaced. He attended Wednesday’s hearing remotely from Italy.

“I have been fully investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies who all determined the same thing, there was nothing there to press any charges. I have always and continue to stand by the fact that I’m completely innocent of these accusations,” Foppoli said in a statement, attributing some allegations to he said-she said but others to be “so far from the possible truth it was almost laughable to even consider finding me liable.

“I don’t completely blame the jury for their incorrect decision,” he continued. “They were only shown part of the story and facts.”

The jury’s decision Wednesday came a day after it began hearing testimony that delved into Foppoli’s finances and his ability to pay punitive damages in the case. Discussions Wednesday provided a further look into his assets and recent financial moves.

While Foppoli’s attorney Andrew Watters acknowledged his client has about $2.2 million in assets, in properties and shares in several businesses, including a 60% stake in Two Kings Wine Co., he said Foppoli also faces exposures of $5 million for a negative $3 million net worth.

In a closing statement Wednesday, Foppoli’s team said the “negative publicity” around the case had hindered his ability to make a living.

The plaintiffs challenged Foppoli’s accounting, however, detailing a list of assets and holdings and accusing him of hiding money.

“He did that to impede your ability to punish him,” plaintiffs’ attorney Nicole Jaffee told jurors in a closing statement. “Don’t let him do that.”

In response to a request by Watters to stay the judgment and waive a requirement Foppoli put up a bond based on an exception for “indigent” clients, Judge Dana Simonds flagged Foppoli’s moving of $3.7 million in two transactions to Italy during the trial. Watters said the transfers were for the purchase of a home for Foppoli’s wife.

“I am very concerned about the transfer of large sums … in the last couple months if not weeks,” Simonds said. “That is not cool. Not OK.”

Watters contended the moving of assets was not against the law in this scenario. “Not per se,” Simonds responded.

Foppoli called the allegations of him moving money lies. In a statement, he said the transfers were for a home he and his wife had been looking for since she became pregnant. He said the image painted of him by plaintiffs’ attorneys as a wealthy scion is false.

Foppoli’s attorneys also indicated they would be requesting partial credit toward any amount owed from a previous settlement, for $2 million, reached between plaintiffs and a winery Foppoli co-owns.

California has no limit on punitive damages, but constitutional standards state they must be proportionate to compensatory damages.

Before the jury announced $10,000 in punitive damages for co-defendant Active 20-30 Santa Rosa, a civic nonprofit, attorney Clark Conforti said in a closing statement the club would likely shutter, requiring the jury to consider the defendant’s ability to pay.

With the $2 million negligence verdict levied against the club in compensatory damages Friday, he said, “in essence, the organization has been dealt a death blow.”

Leaders of the club’s Santa Rosa chapter were accused of failing to take action after Britton, Jane Doe 4, a former Sebastopol chapter member, disclosed her claim that Foppoli assaulted her during a 2012 national club convention. Foppoli was a member of the Santa Rosa chapter at the time. During the trial, plaintiffs’ attorneys described a toxic culture within the Santa Rosa organization, pointing to offensive and graphic language in group messages and newsletters.

“If this is the death knell, maybe it needs to be,” plaintiffs’ attorney Traci Carrillo rebutted. It sends a message to other organizations, “you better not turn a blind eye.”

The national Active 20-30 organization previously reached a settlement involving with the plaintiffs.

Attorneys for both Foppoli and Active 20-30 Santa Rosa declined to comment at the courthouse Wednesday but said they plan to challenge the judgment.

At noon, attorneys and trial watchers packed away lunches and rushed back to the courtroom with the unexpected news that jurors had come to a decision after an hour and a half. They returned a unanimous verdict of $2,020,000 against Foppoli, with individual awards ranging from $110,000 for Jane Does 3, 5 and 6 to $720,000 for Jane Doe 7. The jury awarded $10,000 to Jane Doe 4 against Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa.

Three of the Jane Does who have sat in the front row each day of the trial embraced after the verdict’s announcement. Outside the courtroom, a woman who’d diligently followed the weekslong case approached Britton in tears, thanking her for her bravery. Britton returned the gratitude for the community support. “It brought us so much strength,” she said, “like having guardian angels with us.”

Among those in the courtroom Wednesday was Sharon Walters, a Windsor resident of more than 30 years who attended much of the trial as a member of the public in support of the seven women who sued Foppoli.

“There was a force, a real community force that was here throughout the eight weeks for the plaintiffs,” Walters said. “I hope that will embolden them to know that we are behind you and … we have your back.”

She said she hoped the case would serve as a reminder to elected officials.

“These leaders, I think, have to realize they’re elected by people to represent us, not to … have power over us,” Walters said. “I can only hope that this is kind of a wake-up — that anybody can be held accountable.”

You can reach Staff Writer Marisa Endicott at 707-521-5470 or [email protected], Staff Writer Austin Murphy at [email protected] and Staff Writer Isabel Beer at [email protected].