Eric Williams posted on his Tacoma News Tribune blog last night that the city is requesting six more months and a jury, should the judge grant Bennett's request for a buyout dollar figure should he win the case.
However, in the city’s filing on Wednesday, attorneys for the city argue that the team’s request "dramatically expanded the scope of this litigation," by asking the court to decide the issue of damages. Williams reported last night.
He has posted a link the the city's filing here.
The scope of the trial is "Specific Performance". This isn't about how poorly he has run the business, and is losing money, not that he wants to leave at the end of the lease, but, do they have to honor the lease they have and play each home game in Seattle center's Key Arena through 2010. The city has, and is, preparing a case for Specific Performance to be heard on June 16, 2008.
If Bennett wants to expand the trial to discuss finances, the city is saying that they have retained the right to have a jury trial, and that they should be afforded the time to put together their side of the case on the subject of finances, they are requesting six months.
For some reason this reminds me of something. . .
The Pilots were gone, but problems remained. In 1970, the City of Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington sued the American League. They requested $32 million in damages resulting from the loss of the Pilots.
. . .
The lawsuit dragged on until 1976. At the trial the American League offered to give Seattle a new baseball franchise in return for dropping the suit. The details were ironed out over the next year, and the Seattle Mariners became the new home team. Historylink.org
Thumbs have been hit by hammers before, same city, same hammer, new thumb.