Alumnus John Demas ‘89 ‘92 helped his client find closure in a wrongful death case, awarding a record-breaking jury verdict of $32 million to the deceased children. 

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law alumnus John Demas ‘89 ‘92, founding partner of Demas Law Group, recently won a jury verdict of $32 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.  

In December 2022, two brothers were parked on the shoulder of Interstate 5, dealing with mechanical issues, when a City of Sacramento police detective speeding in the far-right lane drifted over the fog line and entered the shoulder. He hit the disabled truck and then struck the brothers, killing them both.  

One brother, Carlos R., left two children behind: a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old at the time of the accident. Carlos’s fiancée, Jessica R., went to Demas and Tim Spangler, attorneys at Demas Law Group, to represent their children in court.  

Nearly four years later, the jury deliberated for just over an hour before returning with a historic verdict of $32 million for Carlos’s now 14-year-old and 10-year-old children.  

“It was really a validation of the jury to understand the true value of the loss that was taken from these children and realizing the depths of that relationship that they had with their dad,” Demas said. “Having 12 people with a unanimous verdict really proved that point.” 

Throughout the trial, Demas and Spangler were able to provide powerful evidence from three witnesses, 70 photographs, and 15 clips, including a dashcam video provided by a tanker truck driver that captured the entire incident.

“Our client felt that the criminal justice system really didn’t do much by the way of holding him [the officer] accountable since he still kept his job,” Demas said. “After our trial, there was a sense of justice finally being served.” 

This is not the first time Demas has won record-breaking verdicts. He has helped secure the largest jury verdict in Sacramento County, $10.5 million for a bicycle collision, and the largest settlement in California, $9.75 million for the wrongful death of a baby against the City of Sacramento. 

Demas has been working in personal injury law for more than 30 years and said that “personal injury work really helps clients move on as best as they can.” 

“Alumnus John Demas makes a meaningful impact through his work. His commitment to justice reflects the values of McGeorge and the lasting difference our alumni are making in communities across Sacramento and beyond,” Dean Michael T. Colatrella Jr. said.  

Demas is a double tiger. Meaning, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of the Pacific in 1989 and a JD degree from McGeorge School of Law in 1992.