McDonald’s Cleared of Liability

A San Diego County Superior Court judge today cleared McDonald’s Corp. of civil liability in lawsuits filed on behalf of 26 victims and survivors of the July, 1984, massacre in which James Oliver Huberty killed 21 people at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro.

Judge Mack P. Lovett ruled that McDonald’s could not have been expected to take security precautions against such unexpected acts as Huberty’s rampage. The victims had argued that earlier crimes at the restaurant put McDonald’s on notice to protect restaurant patrons. An attorney for McDonald’s predicted that similar lawsuits filed on behalf of about 35 other victims also would be dismissed.