The Denver federal appeals court has upheld a $1.5 million judgment awarded a construction company that sued the city of Colorado Springs for revoking the installation license of one of its workers in 2013.
The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals said a lower court was right in the way it handled the lawsuit brought by Chiddix Excavating against the Colorado Springs Utilities. Chiddix filed suit after the city revoke the utility-installation license of its employee, Robert Curtis.
The company claimed the city violated its procedural due-process rights by revoking his license. The city not only revoked the license held by Curtis but also would not allow the company to install gas lines to be connected to the city’s distribution system.
When Chiddix filed suit, the jury found that Colorado Springs had violated the company’s procedural due-process rights by revoking Curtis’ license without notice or an opportunity for a hearing. The jury awarded $1.5 million to the company and the city appealed the case.