On September 28, 2026, a Placer County jury unanimously awarded $15.8 million to Miranda Flores, the widow of retired California Highway Patrol officer Patrick Seamus Mulderrig, who was killed in a 2024 Granite Bay crash involving Sacramento developer, and minority owner of the Sacramento Kings, Phil Oates.
All 12 jurors agreed on the verdict after a two-week wrongful death trial at Placer County Superior Court in Auburn.
On the evening of May 14, 2024, Mulderrig, 59, was riding his motorcycle west on Douglas Boulevard when Oates, driving a Cadillac in the opposite direction, turned left across his path near Kingsgate Drive. Mulderrig suffered critical injuries and later died.
Oates was never cited or criminally charged. The investigating officer referred the case to the Placer County District Attorney for possible citation and manslaughter charges, but the District Attorney declined to file. Oates accepted responsibility for the crash in the civil case, and the trial centered on the full weight of Flores' loss.
The Flores legal team asked jurors for approximately $45 million. Oates' attorney argued for an award closer to $4 million. The jury's verdict was roughly four times the amount the defense proposed.
"This has always been a case about accountability and responsibility," said attorney Roger Dreyer, who represents Flores. "Patrick was a remarkable husband who loved and lived for his wife and others. The fact that all 12 jurors reached the same conclusion speaks volumes. We deeply appreciate this jury recognizing the extraordinary depth of Miranda's loss and what Patrick meant to her."
"The reality is that Mr. Oates should have been criminally prosecuted," Dreyer added. "He saw Patrick coming and instead of waiting and allowing him to pass, he turned in front of him, costing Patrick his life. The district attorney chose not to prosecute. This jury heard the evidence, recognized the extraordinary loss to Miranda and held Mr. Oates accountable."
The case highlights the power of the civil justice system to deliver accountability when the criminal system does not. As Dreyer noted, it gave an ordinary citizen the ability to hold a powerful and wealthy individual responsible for his conduct.
Flores and Mulderrig married in 2014 after knowing each other for about a decade. Mulderrig, whose father served as a Sacramento police officer, spent his career with the California Highway Patrol.
"I am so thankful to this jury for understanding and recognizing how remarkable my husband Patrick was and the depth of my loss," Flores said. "Patrick impacted our families and my life every day. I hope Phil Oates now fully understands what his actions have cost our families."
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