LOS ANGELES -- The divisiveness, pain, anger and emotional toll the 1991 Rodney King beating has unleashed here was visible again Wednesday in the faces of nine jurors as verdicts were read.
No liability for four of the six officers named in King's civil suit seeking punitive damages. Zero dollars to be paid to King. No money from the only two former officers found to have acted with malice.
The jury forewoman sniffled and wiped tears from her face. Others stared straight ahead, visibly shaken. Another, the only black juror, looked angry.
As U.S. District Judge John Davies polled jurors about the votes, the black woman shook her head in disagreement, paused, and then said "Yes."
"I'm not surprised by the factionalism," said John Burris, one of King's lawyers.
The King case has split this city along racial lines since the March 3, 1991, videotaped beating exploded on television screens nationwide. Acquittals of four white officers by a mostly white Simi Valley jury in 1992 sparked bloody rioting.
At a bus stop Wednesday, Bill Buckner said King had received enough when the jury awarded him $ 3.8 million in actual damages from the city.
"I'm surprised they awarded him that much," he said.
Police officer Kelly Artz said, "It just goes to show that the system does work. They've done their time."
Civil rights lawyer Leo Terrell was shocked. "The jury says the beating was outrageous conduct with malice, and that's what punitive damages are for," he said. "They could have awarded a symbolic $ 10 or a symbolic $ 1."
While the verdict was unanimous, the black juror, a seamstress from South Pasadena who asked to remain anonymous, implied later she voted under pressure: "My car got broken into this morning, so something's not right here. . . . It's purely black and white."
The forewoman, a professional mediator, read a statement: "It was a very stressful situation for many of us."
One of King's lawyers, Milton Grimes, said he was told some jurors attended a weekend picnic where alcohol was served and "loose lips" could have prejudiced the outcome.
"Is it justice? Would they have had that kind of sympathy for any other defendant who was not a police officer? Probably not," said Johnnie Cochran, lawyer for Reginald Denny and other riot victims seeking damages from the city.
King's chances of winning a big punitive award diminished after the judge dropped ex-police chief Daryl Gates - the wealthiest defendant. Gates was pushed out after the riots.
Former officer Timothy Wind says the King case "is never over with. It's made a wreck of our lives, a wreck of the city and our profession."
And it isn't over:.
-- Battles over who will pay legal costs are expected.
-- King's lawyers plan to appeal Wednesday's verdict.
-- Ex-sergeant Stacey Koon and officer Laurence Powell, serving time for federal violations of King's civil rights, are appealing their convictions.
-- Officer Theodore Briseno is fighting for reinstatement.
Three years of litigation finally over
Three trials followed the March 3, 1991, videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers:
FIRST TRIAL
On April 29, 1992, Sgt. Stacey Koon and officers Laurence Powell, Theodore Briseno and Timothy Wind - all charged with using excessive force against King - were acquitted in state court, prompting riots in Los Angeles and neighboring communities. Fifty-three people were killed and damage was estimated at nearly $ 1 billion.
SECOND TRIAL
The officers are tried on federal charges of violating King's civil rights. On April 17, 1993, Koon and Powell are found guilty and Briseno and Wind are acquitted. On Aug. 4, 1993, Koon and Powell are each sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. Both are appealing.
THIRD TRIAL
A two-part civil trial began in March to determine how much the city should pay King in compensatory damages and whether 15 individuals were liable for punitive damages.
On April 19, 1994, jurors awarded King $ 3.8 million in compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering.
During the second phase, nine defendants were dropped. Wednesday, after nearly 11 days of deliberation, the jury decided Koon and Powell acted with malice but shouldn't have to pay punitive damages.
Jury also found that Wind, Briseno, and officers Rolando Solano and Louis Turriaga did not act with malice. In a countersuit by Briseno, the jury refused to hold King liable for punitive damages for battering Briseno during the arrest.
