Jury Awards $340,000 to Williams

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/22/5 | Bay City News

[SmithL]

An Alameda County jury ruled today that former Oakland Raider Bill Romanowski engaged in battery by slugging former teammate Marcus Williams in a practice field skirmish but awarded Williams $340,000 in damages, far less than Williams asked.

The jury found no intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[infidel29]

'Roid rage.

[Michael.SF.]

Here is a pic of Williams, probably taken at the hospital:

I argued before that 3.8 million was too high and I still think it was. I think this would be fair, if he also gets treble damages.

[SmithL]

No punitive damages. Here's the updated story:

Jury finds Romanowski liable

By Guy Ashley
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
OAKLAND - An Alameda County jury this afternoon concluded that former Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski committed battery on his former teammate Marcus Williams, but awarded Williams a total of $340,000 -- far less than he sought.

Williams sat stone-faced as the verdicts were read just before 4 p.m. in Alameda County Superior Court, while Romanowski whispered comments to his attorney.

Romanowski's wife Julie showed a faint smile while seated in the front row of the courtroom's spectator section.

Williams sought more than $3.8 million in the lawsuit, which focused on an August 2003 practice field incident in which Romanowski, a veteran linebacker, tore off Williams' helmet and punched him in the left eye.

Lawyers for Williams say the punch broke the second-year tight end's eye socket and caused serious emotional and cognitive problems, ending his professional football career.

The jury of six men and six women found that Romanowski committed battery on Williams, but said he did not intentionally inflict emotional distress on the second-year tight end.

The jury also rejected claims that Romanowski acted "with malice or oppression," thereby blocking Williams in his bid to receive punitive damages.