Sun Electric Corp. of northwest suburban Crystal Lake said a U.S. District Court jury in California has imposed $10 million in damages against Sun in a civil suit. In a brief statement, issued late Tuesday, the company said only that the damages were awarded to Donald B. Curchod and two companies founded by him, and that Sun had purchased Nortron Corp., a manufacturer of wheel balancers, from Curchod and other principals in 1978. No company officials were available to elaborate, but the statement quoted Chairman D.B. Davis as saying: ”We believe the verdict in this case is not justified by the facts and legal issues presented. We intend to take all necessary action to set aside the verdict.” Sun Electric, maker of automotive-test equipment, last month reported earnings of $1 million, or 16 cents a share, for its fiscal second quarter, ended April 30, the first profit it made in the last four quarters, as sales dropped to $41.6 million from $49.5 million. In its first half, Sun lost $1 million on sales of $78.9 million.
