Suspended $122.34M Judgment Entered vs. Another Robocall Defendant

U.S. District Judge George Hanks for Southern Texas in Houston signed an order Monday (docket 4:20-cv-02021) entering a $122.34 million monetary judgment against defendant Jakob Mears, resolving allegations against him in the eight-state complaint that he helped initiate millions of robocalls to consumers in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The judgment is suspended for Mears’ inability to pay but orders him to forfeit $10,000 in civil penalties by March 31, of which $1,000 will be due in 14 days. The penalties are less harsh than those doled out against another defendant, John Spiller, who was ordered in a Feb. 10 stipulation to pay the states $50,000 in civil penalties within 12 months, including $10,000 due within 30 days (see 2302130010). Mears “neither admits nor denies” any of the allegations, and “only for purposes of resolving this action” does he admit facts “necessary to establish jurisdiction,” said the order.