Jeweler Settles Advertising Suit

A false-advertising lawsuit against Oxnard diamond seller George P. Thompson concluded Friday after the jeweler agreed to settle the case.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, Thompson agreed to be bound by the terms of a final judgment that restricts him and his employees from false or misleading advertising, unfair competition and mischaracterizing the nature of his business.

The judgment also makes final the terms of a preliminary injunction issued last year by Superior Court Judge Joe D. Hadden, which forced Thompson to begin verifying his comparison ads with an independent and qualified jewelry appraiser.

Thompson, known throughout Ventura County for his aggressive print and broadcast ads depicting him as “your friend in the diamond business,” must also pay $50,000 in civil penalties, attorney fees and restitution.

“I’m glad the matter is over,” Thompson said Friday in a prepared statement, thanking his attorneys and the judges who presided over the case. Thompson also stated he was pleased to sign the agreement and indicated it was time to end a “burdensome” civil investigation by prosecutors that he said had disrupted his business.

After a 10-month investigation in 1995, the Consumer and Environmental Protection Division of the district attorney’s office sued Thompson and accused him of making untrue claims in his advertisements.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mitchell Disney, who documented at least 15 claims of false advertising, said Friday he was satisfied with the final ruling.

“Basically, we think that the terms of the judgment are appropriate to prevent further violations that we think the evidence showed,” Disney said.