Pubdate: Fri, 18 Oct 2013
Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA)
Copyright: 2013 Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.dailybulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/871
Author: Wes Woods
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Swerdlow

MARIJUANA ACTIVIST SWERDLOW GETS NO PUNITIVE DAMAGES IN CIVIL TRIAL

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Lanny Swerdlow, a Inland Empire marijuana 
activist, received no punitive damage award against his anti-drug 
opponent Paul Chabot despite a jury ruling in favor of him in a civil trial.

Jurors in West Valley Superior Court on Thursday afternoon did not 
find Swerdlow's suffering worthy of the $1 million punitive damages 
he was seeking after a 2007 incident at a Inland Valley Drug Free 
Coalition meeting in Rancho Cucamonga where he alleged false arrest 
and malicious prosecution.

On Wednesday, the jury found in his favor for the false arrest claim 
but not the malicious prosecution. It awarded him $5,000 for past 
economic and non-economic losses.

"They didn't feel there was any malice or whatever," said Swerdlow 
after the jury declined to give him punitive damages. "It would have 
been nice to have seen some extra money."

Additionally, the jury on Wednesday ruled against Chabot's 
countersuit that claimed Swerdlow had battered him in the incident. 
It also declined to award him attorney fees.

In an emailed statement, Chabot said he was considering an appeal on 
the battery verdict and a slander lawsuit against Swerdlow.

"...I'm considering appealing the one ruling on battery, I'm more 
interested in exploring a slander suit against Mr. Swerdlow and 
others for ongoing hateful speech towards me (and I will donate) the 
winnings to keeping kids off of drugs," Chabot said.

Chabot also praised his attorney Andrew Haynal.

"I'm honored to have had such an outstanding attorney," Chabot said. 
"Mr. Haynal took on the back seat drug legalization lawyers and did 
fantastic. The jury's 12 to 0 vote in our favor of no malice or fraud 
was right on, awarding zero punitive damages, destroyed the 
foundation of Swerdlow's argument."

In 2008, Swerdlow was found not guilty after being accused of battery 
against Chabot in a criminal case at the Rancho Cucamonga meeting a 
year earlier.

Swerdlow had gone to a meeting saying he wanted to listen before 
passing out fliers in support of medical marijuana. He was later 
arrested accused of assaulting Chabot after the president of the 
Coalition for a Drug Free California denied Swerdlow entry into the 
public event. During the civil case, it was revealed Swerdlow would 
not open up a closed box he carried before he entered. The box was 
later revealed to contain medical marijuana literature.

A jury foreman after Thursday's case said jurors were skeptical of 
what actually took place.

"None of us thought there was a shove ... (the entire incident) was 
blown out of proportion," said jury foreman Deborah Clow, 56, of Ontario.
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