Joseph Cammarata
{{Short description|American attorney}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Joseph Cammarata
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|6|23}}
| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
| education = Georgetown University (BS, LLM)
St. John’s University (JD)
| occupation = Civil trial attorney
}}
Joseph Cammarata is an American attorney mainly known for handling the high-profile case against President Bill Clinton, in which he represented Paula Jones in a sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton.{{cite court|litigants=Clinton v. Jones|court=SCOTUS|reporter=|vol=520|opinion=681|pinpoint=|date=1997|url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/520/681/|quote=|access-date=2022-09-30}} Cammarata also represented seven women who alleged they were sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby in a defamation lawsuit.{{Cite news |title=These are the women with pending lawsuits against Bill Cosby |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/12/30/these-are-the-women-with-pending-lawsuits-against-bill-cosby/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0190-8286}}
Life and career
Cammarata was born in Brooklyn, New York.{{Cite web |title=Martindale-Hubble Joseph Cammarata |url=https://www.martindale.com/attorney/joseph-cammarata-346862/ |access-date=2024-11-20}} He earned his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1980, and his Juris Doctor from St. John's University School of Law in 1983. Cammarata earned his Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1987. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.{{cite web |title=BIADC |url=http://www.biadc.org/about.html |access-date=2022-09-30}}{{Cite web |title=Joseph Cammarata |url=https://northernvirginiamag.com/best/lawyers/joseph-cammarata/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Northern Virginia Magazine |language=en-US}} He is mostly known for litigating against individuals and companies that injure people, are involved in sexual misconduct or are accused of medical malpractice.{{Cite web |title=Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs Lawyers, Arlington, VA {{!}} Lawyer Directory |url=https://lawyers.usnews.com/lawyers/virginia/arlington/personal-injury-litigation-plaintiffs |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=lawyers.usnews.com}}{{Cite web |title=Top Rated Washington, DC Personal Injury Attorney {{!}} Joseph Cammarata |url=https://profiles.superlawyers.com/washington-dc/washington/lawyer/joseph-cammarata/4f253733-840c-463f-87ec-6cc17ee0a029.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Super Lawyers |language=en}} Cammarata is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and New York.{{Cite web |date=2017-12-25 |title=Joseph Cammarata - Washingtonian |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/best/lawyers/joseph-cammarata/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Members {{!}} National Association of Distinguished Counsel |url=https://www.distinguishedcounsel.org/members/joseph-cammarata/35398/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |language=en-US}}
Cammarata served as lead counsel for Paula Jones in a lawsuit against U.S. President Bill Clinton, Jones v. Clinton (1994), over sexual harassment allegations against Clinton during his time as Governor of Arkansas.{{Cite web |title=Jones v. Clinton, 869 F. Supp. 690 (E.D. Ark. 1994) |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/869/690/1495766/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Justia Law |language=en}}{{cite web |title=The Clinton Affair |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8972296/?ref_=nm_knf_t1 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=IMDb |publisher=A&E}}{{Cite web |title=Paula Jones' ex-attorney looks back at the Clinton scandal |url=http://video.foxnews.com/v/5720100632001/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Fox News |language=en}} Clinton's defense to the claim was that a sitting president could not be sued while in office. After the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Clinton, finding "the President, like all other government officials, is subject to the same laws that apply to all other members of our society," Clinton appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which returned a unanimous decision in favor of Jones in May 1997, allowing her lawsuit to proceed.{{Cite web |title=Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997) |url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/520/681/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Justia Law |language=en}} On appeal, Clinton agreed to an out-of-court settlement. Gilbert Davis and Cammarata who both served as Jones' council resigned in August 1997, believing the settlement offer they had secured, which Jones refused (on advice from Susan Carpenter-McMillan),{{Cite web |title=washingtonpost.com: IRS Audit of Paula Jones Is 'Harassment,' Adviser Says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/pjones/stories/pj091597.htm |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}} was the appropriate way to end the case.{{Cite web |title=Jones' Lawyers Advised Her About Financial Gains - June 11, 1998 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/06/11/jones.settle/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=edition.cnn.com}}{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Neil A. |date=1997-09-09 |title=Two Lawyers For Paula Jones Want to Withdraw from Case |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/09/us/two-lawyers-for-paula-jones-want-to-withdraw-from-case.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Chris |date=1997-09-08 |title=Lawyers Quit Clinton Suit |language=en-US |work=Time |url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,9347,00.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0040-781X}}{{Cite web |title=Jones v. Clinton - Characters |url=https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/resources/jones.case/characters.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=edition.cnn.com}} The case was later settled by a federal appeals court on November 13, 1998.{{Cite web |title=washingtonpost.com: Jones v. Clinton Special Report |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/jones111498.htm |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}} The case established a precedent that a sitting President of the United States does not have immunity from civil lawsuits, and precipitated the impeachment of Bill Clinton.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=The Paula Jones case and settlement in 'Impeachment' explained |url=https://www.newsweek.com/impeachment-acs-paula-jones-settlement-bill-clinton-1631557 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}
Cammarata also represented seven women who alleged they were sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby in a defamation lawsuit.{{cite court|litigants=Tamara Green, et al v. William H. Cosby, Jr.|court=W.D. Mass.|reporter=|vol=|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=2015-11-15|url=https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/documents/3rd-Amended-Complaint-Court-Stamped-Copy.pdf|quote=|access-date=2022-09-30}} On December 10, 2014, Cammarata filed a defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby on behalf of Tamara Green.{{cite court|litigants=Tamara Green v. Cosby|court=W.D. Mass.|reporter=|vol=|opinion=|pinpoint=|date=2014-12-10|url=https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/documents/TAMARA-GREEN-COMPLAINT.pdf|access-date=2022-09-30}}{{Cite web |title=Judge refuses to throw out suit against Cosby |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/10/10/judge-refuses-to-throw-out-defamation-suit-against-cosby/73710556/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Plaintiffs' Attorney: This Case is a Battle Over Bill and Camille Cosby's Credibility |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plaintiffs-attorney-battle-over-bill-camille-cosby-s-credibility-n523896 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=NBC News |language=en}} The suit was later amended to bring the number of plaintiffs in the lawsuit to seven, and to add additional claims for false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress.{{Cite web |title=Attorney representing 7 Cosby accusers speaks out |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/attorney-representing-7-cosby-accusers-190821046.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=sports.yahoo.com |language=en-US}} All women publicly alleged they were drugged and / or sexually assaulted by Cosby.{{cite news |date=2015-12-14 |title=Bill Cosby files countersuit against seven women in defamation case |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-cosby/bill-cosby-files-countersuit-against-seven-women-in-defamation-case-idUSKBN0TX2AG20151214 |access-date=2022-09-30}}{{cite news |date=2016-01-01 |title=Camille Cosby ordered to give deposition |agency=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/01/us/camille-cosby-deposition/index.html}}{{cite news |date=2016-02-22 |title=Camille Cosby to be deposed again |agency=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/us/bill-cosby-camille-cosby-deposition/ |access-date=2022-09-30}} In April 2019, Cosby's insurer, AIG, reached a confidential settlement in the case.{{cite news |date=2019-04-05 |title=Bill Cosby: 'I didn't settle' defamation lawsuit and 'I'm not paying' but my insurer will |agency=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/04/05/bill-cosby-i-didnt-settle-civil-lawsuit-insurer-paying/3378180002/ |access-date=2022-09-30}}{{cite news |date=2019-05-31 |title=Bill Cosby drops defamation claims against 7 accusers after his insurer settles |agency=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/05/31/bill-cosby-drops-defamation-claims-against-7-accusers/1304058001/ |access-date=2022-09-30}}
In 1999, Cammarata represented developmentally disabled citizens in litigation against the District of Columbia and its contractors for negligence and civil rights violations, and testified before a D.C. City Council subcommittee about abuse and neglect uncovered during litigation.{{cite news |date=1999-12-07 |title=City to Investigate Deaths |agency=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/12/07/city-to-investigate-deaths/aa581592-90c1-4f12-a616-6c2a7127739e/}}{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Bill |date=2000-07-04 |title=Families Sue D.C. in 2 Deaths |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/07/04/families-sue-dc-in-2-deaths/3fc72061-56f0-4091-a960-6116a980ac76/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |title=After Forest Haven Closed, Deaths Came To D.C. Group Homes |url=https://wamu.org/story/16/03/15/after_an_institution_closed_deaths_came_to_dc_group_homes/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=WAMU |language=en}}
In October 2018, Cammarata and co-counsel obtained a court-approved $14.25 million class action settlement on behalf of women who were secretly recorded by Rabbi Bernard “Barry” Freundel while they used a religious bath at the National Capital Mikvah in Washington, D.C.{{cite news |date=2018-08-28 |title=Orthodox Jewish organizations reach $14.25M settlement |agency=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/08/28/orthodox-jewish-organizations-reach-14-5-million-settlement-with-victims-of-voyeur-rabbi-barry-freundel/ |access-date=2022-09-30}}