The judge presiding over the multi-billion dollar Apple v. Samsung trial rejected Apple’s request that one of Samsung’s lawyers be sanctioned over sending banned evidence to the press, calling the request ‘theatrics’.
“I will not let any theatrics or any sideshows distract us from what we are here to do,” Judge Lucy Koh said.
As Hardware Canucks reported on Wednesday, Samsung was barred by Judge Koh from presenting images of a smartphone with a “simple, rounded rectangular body” that it claims to have been developing in 2006.
John. B. Quinn, one of Samsung’s lawyers, requested that the evidence be allowed in the trial — going as far as to ‘beg’ Judge Koh to allow its submission.
When Judge Koh denied his request for a third time, Mr. Quinn sent the evidence in an email to press covering the trial.
Mr. Quinn defended his actions as “ethical” and “legal”, justifying them in an emailed statement: “Fundamental fairness requires that the jury decide the case based on all the evidence.”
While rejecting Apple’s request for sanctions, Judge Koh condemned the disclosure as, “a willful and deliberate attempt to further propagate that excluded evidence.”
The trial continues today in San Jose. Hardware Canucks will have further updates as the trial progresses.
