By JON CAMPISI
A man who says he was falsely
arrested during an encounter at the Eagle’s
football stadium in South
Philadelphia three years ago has won a $75,000 jury verdict at Philadelphia’s
Common Pleas Court.
Harry Mims, a former resident
of Silver Springs, Md. who now lives in Philadelphia, filed suit in July 2012
against Eagles Stadium Operator LLC, various security officials and a number of
Philadelphia police officers over his arrest during the Eagles home opener back
in 2011 at Lincoln Financial Field.
Mims, who is in his early 30s,
contended that he was arrested by cops working a plainclothes detail at the
sports venue during an incident in which he inadvertently came into contact
with one of the lawmen.
The officers had apparently
been walking by with a handcuffed suspect at the time in an effort to eject the
spectator from the stadium.
Officers alleged that Mims
first interfered with one of the cops, identified as Mark Alston, also a
defendant in the suit, and then resisted attempts to arrest him, the complaint
stated.
Mims claimed he went on to
spend two days in a jail cell before he was released on bail.
The criminal charges were
ultimately dismissed against Mims by a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge.
Mims sued for false arrest,
assault and battery, and malicious prosecution, records show.
The $75,000 jury award consists
of only compensatory damages; no punitive damages were awarded.
Mims was represented by
attorneys Jonathan James and Michael Schwartz of James, Schwartz &
Associates.
The trial was presided over by
Common Pleas Court Judge Shelley Robins-New.