WOMAN AWARDED PUNITIVE DAMAGES IN ADOPTION SUIT

Daily News of Los Angeles

A Superior Court jury awarded a woman $375,000 in punitive damages Friday in her lawsuit against an adoption agency worker.

The award was on top of $275,000 in compensatory damages awarded Thursday to Krista Stoner in her suit against San Diego Pregnancy Services and employee Bonnie Jo Williams.

Stoner, a high school dropout and former drug abuser, sued the agency and Williams for fraud and negligence. She claimed she changed her mind about putting her daughter up for adoption but was not allowed to get her baby back. The Tennessee couple who adopted the baby girl, now 4, will be allowed to keep her.

Stoner said the $650,000 does not make up for the daughter she lost.

Williams and San Diego Pregnancy Services are both responsible for paying the $275,000 in compensation. But Williams alone must pay the $375,000 in punitive damages.

"I'm devastated," Williams said. "This is a nightmare you want to wake up from."

Williams said she never misrepresented herself or San Diego Pregnancy Services.