LOS ANGELES : Joe Morgan’s Damage Award Cut to $100,000

A federal appeals panel on Tuesday upheld a ruling that baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan is entitled to damages stemming from his arrest by Los Angeles police, but reduced them from $300,000 to $100,000.

Attorneys for the city had appealed the lower court ruling and asked for a new trial, arguing that there were juror improprieties during the first proceeding.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court in San Francisco refused Tuesday to grant a new trial or hearing. In the same opinion, the panel reduced the damages awarded to Morgan and ordered a hearing to determine if the officer named in the suit can afford to pay his share of the damages.

The suit stemmed from Morgan’s detainment at Los Angeles International Airport by officers who thought he was traveling with a suspected drug smuggler. A federal jury found that Morgan was unlawfully detained and arrested without probable cause.