EL MONTE : Justices Uphold $85,000 Award in Police Beating
The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday left intact an $85,000 award to a California man who said he was beaten by police during a 1986 arrest.
The court, without comment, rejected the city of El Monte’s argument that there was no proof its policies sanctioned police misconduct.
Otha Thomas Rhodes was arrested on charges of obstructing a police investigation June 6, 1986, when police were called to investigate a reported stabbing. During the arrest, Rhodes said, police beat him with their batons, causing bruises to his forehead and a swollen lip. He filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and two police officers.
A federal court jury did not find the police officers liable but ordered the city in 1989 to pay $85,000 to Rhodes. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the award last year, saying Rhodes provided evidence “demonstrating a conscious decision on the part of the city to avert its eyes to the misconduct of its police officers.”
In the appeal acted on Tuesday, the city argued that it could be held liable only if its policies directly caused a violation of constitutional rights.
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