PORTLAND, Maine - A Maine man ordered to pay $14.5 million in damages to a Haiti orphanage founder he accused of sexually abusing boys is asking for a new trial.
A jury ordered Paul Kendrick to pay $7 million to Michael Geilenfeld, founder of St. Joseph's Home for Boys. Kendrick must also pay $7.5 million to North Carolina-based Hearts with Haiti after an email campaign that Geilenfeld says resulted in his being imprisoned for 237 days in Haiti and cost the charity millions in donations.
Kendrick is filing his request for a new trial on Thursday in federal court. He says evidence of Geilenfeld's time in prison was erroneously admitted during the trial. The trial ended in July.
Geilenfeld's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.