FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal Court Amends Judgment, Reduces Award by More Than $1.3 Million
Los Angeles, CA – October 15, 2025 – The United States District Court for the Central District of California has issued an amended judgment in the case involving Levi Sap Nei Thang, significantly reducing the total award from $3,197,816.44 to $1,827,323.68.
Concerns Regarding Trial Proceedings
During the original trial, Ms. Thang maintains that she was not given a fair and full opportunity to present her testimony. At the outset of the proceedings, the presiding judge urged her on three separate occasions to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. She initially declined to do so. However, after several days of continued pressure from the court, Ms. Thang ultimately invoked the Fifth Amendment.
Reliance on Fifth Amendment Invocation
Despite this, the court later relied on her invocation of the Fifth Amendment as part of its reasoning for imposing punitive damages. Ms. Thang and her legal counsel contend that this reliance was improper and contributed to an unjust outcome.
Motion Challenging Punitive Damages
On September 5, 2025, counsel for Ms. Thang filed a motion challenging the punitive damages portion of the original judgment. The motion argued that the punitive damages award was issued without the legally required evidence of Ms. Thang’s financial condition. Under well-established legal precedent, punitive damages cannot be imposed unless the court has been presented with sufficient proof of a defendant’s financial circumstances.
Court Grants Reduction in Judgment
After reviewing the motion, on October 15, 2025, the federal court agreed with these arguments and granted the request to amend the judgment. As a result, $1,370,492.76 in punitive damages was vacated, leading to a substantial reduction in the overall amount owed.
Continuing Legal Efforts
While this amended judgment represents an important step toward correcting significant legal errors, Ms. Thang believes that additional mistakes affected the fairness of the original proceedings. Her legal team intends to pursue an appeal regarding the remaining portions of the judgment to ensure that all outstanding issues are fully reviewed and properly addressed.
About the Presiding Judge
The case was presided over by Judge Hernán D. Vera of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Vera was nominated to the federal bench by President Joe Biden.