The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

rafael_robb
Rafael Robb, 56, is escorted out of Montgomery County District Court in King of Prussia, Pa. Monday, Jan. 8, 2007. Robb, a University of Pennsylvania professor was charged Monday in the bludgeoning death of his estranged wife, who told friends she was preparing to divorce him. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Credit: Matt Rourke , Matt Rourke

The former Penn economics professor who pleaded guilty to killing his wife is fighting back against a civil verdict forcing him to pay $124.2 million in damages for the offense.

On Nov. 5,  Rafael Robb , who pleaded guilty to killing his wife Ellen Gregory Robb in 2007 , was ordered by jury to pay $124.2 million in damages to his daughter, Olivia . A week after the jury found against Robb, Eric D. Levin , Robb's defense attorney, filed a post-trial relief motion to have the damages against Robb set aside, reduced or — at the very least — placed on hold while he gets a new trial.

Robert Mongeluzzi, the attorney representing Olivia, said that Robb's appeal is "as meritless as his defense was at trial." At the trial, he said, Robb argued that he was prejudiced against because the jury must have perceived him as a dangerous person when two officers walked Olivia to a side door to avoid the media.

"He has as much chance of winning this appeal as his wife had of surviving his murderous bludgeoning with a steel crowbar as she had only a pink pen for filling out Christmas gift cards to defend herself with," Mongeluzzi said.

Levin, Robb's attorney, could not be reached by phone or email for comment on Sunday.

Comments powered by Disqus

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.