Adams v. City of Chicago

Dist. Ct. erred in reducing jury’s $2.4 million and $1 million awards in favor of plaintiffs to $1.17 million and $300,000 in section 1983 and 1985 claims alleging false arrest, excessive force and race discrimination on part of defendants-police officials, where Dist. Ct. had failed to give plaintiffs option of new trial in lieu of accepting lower damage award. Moreover, Dist. Ct. should not have reduced instant jury’s awards, where said awards rationally related to both physical and verbal harassment defendants inflicted on plaintiffs during their prolonged 204-day and 45-day detentions in jail. Fact that another jury could have given lower award, or that plaintiffs' counsel made inappropriate and inflammatory comments about other inmates in jail did not require different result. Moreover, instant awards were not excessive in view of awards in other excessive force cases.