Vista

In one of the largest civil judgments in the memory of officials at the Vista Superior Courthouse, a jury has awarded more than $1.6 million to Assistant U.S. Atty. Steve Nelson and his wife in their civil lawsuit claiming they were maliciously prosecuted by an investment partner who for a time was Nelson’s colleague.

The same jury was to resume deliberations today in Vista Superior Court Judge Don Martinson’s courtroom to assess possible punitive damages in the case.

The defendant is William Shaw, now in private law practice in Los Angeles, who with Nelson and other current and former members of the U.S. Attorney’s office in San Diego had invested in apartment complexes in Texas and Arizona.

The basis of Nelson’s lawsuit was a 1980 suit filed by Shaw against Nelson, claiming fraud in the real estate dealing. But Nelson was never served with Shaw’s lawsuit.

In his own suit, Nelson, represented by San Diego attorney Milt Silverman, maintained his reputation had been damaged by Shaw’s suit. He alleged malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, abuse of process and invasion of privacy.

The jury on Friday returned from partial deliberations and awarded $1,572,850 in actual damages to Nelson and $49,429.29 to his wife, Nancy.

Nelson, 45, heads the narcotics division of the U.S. Attorney’s office and is regional coordinator of the Presidential Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in San Diego.