Vodicka's wife seeks divorce, new counsel
Mark Norris, Managing Editor, mnorris@smu.edu
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: News
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Gary Vodicka's wife has dismissed him as her attorney in the University Gardens case and is seeking new representation or will represent herself in court, she said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Campus.
Shannon Jacuzzi also revealed some of the figures being tossed back and forth in mediation between SMU and Vodicka in mediation for the UG case.
According to Jacuzzi, SMU offered Vodicka $450,000 in the first round of mediation.
Vodicka countered with $3.7 million.
SMU did not counter-offer.
The most recent round of mediation Vodicka was offered $1 million and refused the amount. Jacuzzi said he his now seeking between $10 and $20 million from the school.
"From a mediator's point of view, this entire situation is senseless," Jacuzzi said.
She also revealed that at one point during the case, Vodicka was able to obtain out-of-print Civil War history books from SMU legal counsel in exchange for court filings.
"Imagine that SMU and Gary went to mediation early on " said Jacuzzi. "By now, with all the attorney fees SMU is paying... and with all the time spent, heartache and publicity for all, wouldn't it have been better for the two sides to 'compromise' and settle?"
The next phase of the University Gardens case is Thursday, when the court will hear on the dismissal of Vodicka's bankruptcy case.
There is another mediation session scheduled for Friday, but Jacuzzi said both sides have dug too deep to be open to mediation anymore.
Jacuzzi said Vodicka has not talked to her in the past 60 days and the only way she has been able to get a hold of him is by calling his phone from and different number so her call won't get screened.
She added that Vodicka has not sent her any copies of the case documents.
"The only way I've been able to keep up with the case is by reading smudailycampus.com," Jacuzzi said. "By not talking to me he's violating his legal ethics codes by not zealously representing me."
Shannon Jacuzzi also revealed some of the figures being tossed back and forth in mediation between SMU and Vodicka in mediation for the UG case.
According to Jacuzzi, SMU offered Vodicka $450,000 in the first round of mediation.
Vodicka countered with $3.7 million.
SMU did not counter-offer.
The most recent round of mediation Vodicka was offered $1 million and refused the amount. Jacuzzi said he his now seeking between $10 and $20 million from the school.
"From a mediator's point of view, this entire situation is senseless," Jacuzzi said.
She also revealed that at one point during the case, Vodicka was able to obtain out-of-print Civil War history books from SMU legal counsel in exchange for court filings.
"Imagine that SMU and Gary went to mediation early on " said Jacuzzi. "By now, with all the attorney fees SMU is paying... and with all the time spent, heartache and publicity for all, wouldn't it have been better for the two sides to 'compromise' and settle?"
The next phase of the University Gardens case is Thursday, when the court will hear on the dismissal of Vodicka's bankruptcy case.
There is another mediation session scheduled for Friday, but Jacuzzi said both sides have dug too deep to be open to mediation anymore.
Jacuzzi said Vodicka has not talked to her in the past 60 days and the only way she has been able to get a hold of him is by calling his phone from and different number so her call won't get screened.
She added that Vodicka has not sent her any copies of the case documents.
"The only way I've been able to keep up with the case is by reading smudailycampus.com," Jacuzzi said. "By not talking to me he's violating his legal ethics codes by not zealously representing me."
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