BOSTON (AP) - More than 13 years after a convenience store owner accused a
Springfield police officer of beating her and her adult children, the highest
court in Massachusetts has ordered a new hearing to assess damages in the case.
Lucy Jones contended in a lawsuit that Officer Ronald Boykan burst into her
store in 1999, forced his way into a restricted area, arrested Jones' two
children and beat all three of them.
Jones and her children said they lost their store and suffered physical and
emotional injuries. In 2004, a judge issued a default judgment and ordered the
city to pay $1 million in damages.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court ordered
a new hearing to determine damages against the city and Boykan. The court found
that a lower court judge's original assessment of damages was inadequate.
