Jury clears Snoop Dogg in man’s beating

Jury clears Snoop Dogg in man’s beating

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A civil jury says Snoop Dogg didn’t hit a man who came up on stage during a 2005 concert near Seattle.

The rapper wasn’t in court Friday when the jury’s verdict cleared him of civil assault and battery claims. The jury did find that Richard Monroe Jr. suffered serious injuries during the concert and awarded him $449,400 in damages to be paid by a record label, another performer and others involved in the concert.

The damages awarded were substantially lower than the $22 million Monroe sought when he sued the rapper in 2006.

Jurors found that Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, doesn’t personally owe Monroe anything.

During two weeks of testimony, jurors were repeatedly shown a video of a melee that Monroe said left him unconscious, badly bruised and nearly naked.

Monroe’s attorney, Brian E. Watkins, said jurors did believe his client’s contention that Broadus’ people were involved in a savage beating.

Responsibility for paying the judgment falls on Doggystyle Records, which Broadus founded; rapper Soopafly, whose real name is Priest Brooks; and other unidentified parties.

Though Broadus was not present for the verdict, he attended part of the trial and testified, denying that he struck Monroe.

Monroe’s attorneys contended that Broadus hit their client with a microphone during the scuffle. But a video shown during the trial didn’t show Broadus striking Monroe, and the performer said he left the stage before the fight was over.

Broadus’ attorneys attacked Monroe’s recollection of the events, telling jurors that his story about who hit him changed over time.

Today’s birthdays

Comedian Mort Sahl is 82. Singer Eric Burdon (The Animals, War) is 68. Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (”24”) is 57. Actor Boyd Gaines is 56. Drummer Mark Herndon of Alabama is 54. Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn is 50. Actor Coby Bell (“Third Watch”) is 34. Celloist Perttu Kivilaakso of Apocalyptica is 31. Actor Jonathan Jackson (“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” “Tuck Everlasting”) is 27.