Who gets to keep an engagement ring if a romance turns sour and the wedding is called off? That’s what the highest court in Massachusetts was asked to decide, with a $70,000 ring at the center of the dispute. The court ultimately ruled Friday that an engagement ring must be returned to the person who purchased it, ending a 6-decade state rule that required judges to try to identify who was to blame for the end of the relationship. The case involved Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino, who started dating in the summer of 2016. Eventually, Johnson bought a $70,000 diamond engagement ring and in August 2017 asked Settino’s father for permission to marry her. Two months later, he also bought two wedding bands for about $3,700. Johnson said he felt like after that Settino became increasingly critical and unsupportive, including berating him and not accompanying him to treatments when he was diagnosed with cancer. At some point Johnson looked at Settino’s cell phone and discovered a message from her to a man he didn't know. He also found messages from the man, including a voicemail in which the man referred to Settino as “cupcake" and said they didn't see enough of each other. Settino claimed the man was just a friend. Johnson ended the engagement, but ownership of the ring remained up in the air. A trial judge initially concluded Settino was entitled to keep the engagement ring, reasoning that Johnson “mistakenly thought Settino was cheating on him and called off the engagement.” An appeals court found Johnson should get the ring, and in September the case landed before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which ultimately ruled that Johnson should keep the ring. A lawyer for Settino said they were disappointed, but respected the court’s decision to follow the majority rule among the states.
