On May 16, 2019, Governor Jared Polis signed into law bipartisan House Bill 19-1267 (the Act), which creates criminal liability for employers that intentionally refuse to pay, or that underpay, their employees. Starting January 1, 2020, employers could face criminal charges of petty offense, misdemeanor, or felony, depending on the amount of unpaid or underpaid wages. This means that employers or their agents could face imprisonment of up to a maximum of 24 years and a fine of up to $1 million for the most egregious offenses.

In the state of Florida, defendants often fall victim to inflated verdicts. Laws currently allow a plaintiff to present evidence of medical expenses that do not accurately reflect a plaintiff’s actual economic damages. This can result in significantly unfair verdicts. The Florida legislature attempted to address this issue in their last session.