Judge Throws Out $1.5-Million Verdict

A judge Monday threw out a $1.5-million verdict against the city and ordered a new trial in the case of a man hit by a police car while fleeing from officers.

Raymond Watson was struck by a Los Angeles Police Department car while fleeing from officers near Exposition Park in 1997. Watson suffered a fractured skull and spinal injuries and was awarded $1.5 million by a jury in August.

However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey, the original trial judge, overturned the decision, citing inappropriate actions by Watson’s attorney, juror misconduct, insufficient evidence and other irregularities. A new trial date has not been set.

Assistant City Atty. Don Vincent praised the decision and said the trial was flawed. Jurors were given wrong forms, and one told her colleagues that she disliked police officers because of a parking ticket she had received, Vincent said.

Watson’s attorney said he would appeal.

“This is a very good example of what’s wrong with the legal system,” Gregory Moreno said. “The judge ignored the facts and the law.”