BRIEF: Retired judge’s insurance company not on hook for losses in land deal

July 01--A retired Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge accused of losing another county judge's money in a land investment deal cannot be covered by his insurance policy, the state Superior Court ruled Monday in backing a lower court's decision.

Senior Judge Gerard Bigley and his wife, Maureen, sued retired Judge Robert Horgos in 2011 for more than $100,000 each on counts of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. Bigley claimed Horgos persuaded him to invest in Florida real estate, which Horgos said he could buy cheaply and sell at a significant return on his investment.

The Bigleys sued Horgos, who tried to recoup the losses from Erie Insurance Exchange.

Somerset County Judge Eugene E. Fike sided with Erie in July in denying the claim.

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