A jury of four women and two men deliberated for more than eight hours before deciding upon the claims and asking the city to compensate for injuries the stripping beauty received from city cops.
The jury was so moved by the tale of the former Playboy Bunny, that they went ahead to award $385, 000 more than what her lawyer asked for.
Stephanie Adams earned fame for being the first Playboy Playmate who openly admitted her lesbian leanings. Adams said that cops pushed here to the ground at gunpoint after a cabbie falsely complained that she had “flashed vampire teeth” and threatened to shoot him.
The cabbie driver, Darko, who lost his taxi license following the incident had use foul language and slammed the cab door on her belly. Then Darko called the police, and when Adams refused their commands to lie face down on the ground, she was manhandled by the city cops.
However, findings show that at the time of the incident Stephanie was wearing skintight jeans with a bare-midriff shirt and she immediately spread her arms wide to show the cops that she was unarmed and the complaint was false.
The NYPD Sergeant first testified that he caused a “controlled drop to the ground…(because)…We didn’t know if she had a firearm.”
However, later he admitted to the court that Stephanie, “was wearing tight-fitting clothing, and there was no place to conceal a weapon.”
Stephanie Adams claims to be directly descended from the Presidents John Quincy Adams and John Adams, and said the incident had given her permanent neck and back injuries.
Experts say it is unusual for the jury to award so much more that what was asked for by the plaintiff.
The city has 45 days to appeal the case and the city Law Department reported that the judge can be asked to reduce the payout or overturn the verdict of the jury.
Lawyer Sanford Rubenstein, who represented Adams said, “This jury verdict demonstrates that there is a serious problem in this city regarding excessive use of force of our police against ordinary citizens. This must be addressed by the appropriate city officials.”
