Jury trial date in multimillion-dollar lawsuit towards PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau will likely be moved from October to 2025

One of many buyers in PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau’s profession when the Utah-born sports activities icon was a youngster should wait no less than 4 extra months, maybe longer, to get his day in court docket after he filed a lawsuit in 2020 seeking more than $16 million in what he says are unpaid bills, loans and percentages of winnings.

Final January, Decide James Brady of Utah’s 4th Judicial District Courtroom scheduled an eight-day jury trial to begin on Oct. 2, 2024, in Provo to listen to Salt Lake City businessman Molonai Hola’s case towards Finau, 34, who was born and raised in Salt Lake Metropolis, however resided within the Utah County city of Lehi on the time of the unique lawsuit submitting in September 2020.

Nevertheless, an e-mail from Brady’s workplace knowledgeable attorneys representing the plaintiff, Hola, and the defendant, Finau, that “the court docket has obtained phrase not too long ago that this case will must be rescheduled because of unavoidable circumstances.”

Considered one of Brady’s legislation clerks declined to present a extra particular cause for the delay when contacted by the Deseret Information on Friday, saying that when the brand new trial date is ready, the explanation will likely be listed on the courts calendar.

Hola’s Salt Lake Metropolis-based legal professional, Joshua S. Ostler, stated counsel on each side know the explanation “and perceive it,” however aren’t at liberty to debate it.

Decide Brady has introduced he’s retiring on the finish of this calendar 12 months after serving on the Fourth District Courtroom bench since Could 2010 when he was appointed by then Gov. Gary Herbert.

The judicial case supervisor knowledgeable each events that the subsequent obtainable date for an eight-day jury trial at Provo District Courtroom is Could 28 to June 6, 2025. So the case will presumably need to be heard by a special decide.

Finau’s legal professional, Stewart Peay, knowledgeable the court docket that he has a trial set in Idaho from Could 27-30, 2025, so these dates won’t work for him.

“It looks as if that isn’t going to work for all of the events, or attorneys,” Ostler stated. “We’ve been in touch with the clerk slightly bit and so they may work to see if we will get on some type of expedited schedule. … There’s a chance we will get on the calendar the very first thing subsequent 12 months, however I’m not certain but.”

A January trial might trigger Finau to overlook a PGA Tour occasion or two in Hawaii or California, but it surely comes earlier than professional golf’s main tournaments start in April with the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

The trial’s continuance from subsequent month to 2025 signifies that Finau will now be obtainable to play within the PGA Tour’s new Black Desert Championship in St. George from Oct. 10-13, 2024.

Ostler stated though the continuance places Hola’s camp “in slightly little bit of limbo proper now,” it’s not essentially a setback for the plaintiff.

“We need to get to trial. We would like Mr. Hola to have his day in court docket, and have his claims heard. That’s nonetheless going to occur. We have been wanting ahead to the October trial. But when it needs to be rescheduled, it needs to be rescheduled,” Ostler stated. “We are going to nonetheless be capable to make our similar case. I wouldn’t characterize it as a blow to our case or our facet or something like that.”

Right here’s why plaintiff desires trial moved out of Utah County

After receiving discover of the continuance on Wednesday, and realizing that the continuance would possible require a brand new decide within the case, Hola’s counsel on Thursday filed a movement to alter the venue from Provo to Salt Lake Metropolis, the place the lawsuit was originally filed before Finau’s attorneys got it moved to Provo in January 2021.

Hola’s attorneys argue that the case ought to have remained in Salt Lake County as a result of attorneys on each side are within the state’s most populated county, as are a lot of the witnesses. Different individuals will fly into Salt Lake Metropolis for the trial, they stated within the movement, and will likely be inconvenienced in the event that they need to make the longer drive to Provo.

Why does Tony Finau’s religion matter on this case?

Additionally, the plaintiffs argued of their movement that “a good and neutral willpower is extra possible in Salt Lake County” because of Utah County having a better focus of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than Salt Lake County.

“Tony Finau’s movie star is well-known all through Utah, however particularly in Utah County, the place’s he’s resided for the previous 15 years and the place he resided when he first grew to become well-known,” the movement states.

“Additionally, it’s well-known that Tony Finau is a religious member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” it continues.

Hola’s attorneys cited a 2021 Deseret News article stating {that a} survey confirmed 72% of Utah County residents establish as Latter-day Saints, in comparison with under 50% in Salt Lake County.

“Plaintiff acknowledges that the jury pool will include Tony Finau’s followers and admirers no matter the place the trial is held, however the affect on equity and impartiality is undoubtedly smaller in Salt Lake County,” the movement states.

Finau’s attorneys have two weeks from final Thursday to answer the change of venue movement. Ostler declined to elaborate on the prospects of getting the case moved again to Salt Lake County, or if the faith arguments are legitimate.

“I feel the movement speaks for itself,” he stated. “We’ve at all times maintained that the most effective place to have this trial is right here in Salt Lake Metropolis.”