The civil lawsuit filed by Tyreek Hill’s ex-wife, alleging multiple counts of battery and related lawsuits, has reached a verdict. Via Diana Moskovitz of Defector mediathe jury found Hill responsible for two battery counts. He was found not responsible for the other charges.
The jury awarded Keeta Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages. The jury did not award punitive damages.
The jury’s decision not to award punitive damages is curious. Battery is an intentional offense. In Florida, however, the law requires “clear and convincing evidence” of willful misconduct. It is possible, in theory, that the jury found evidence of battery under the lower standard of “preponderance of the evidence,” but not “clear and convincing” evidence, which is a higher bar.
The outcome becomes relevant to the ongoing review of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, stemming from allegations Vaccaro initially made against Hill during a divorce filing. The results represent a neutral determination that Hill more likely than not committed battery on two occasions. However, the Personal Conduct Policy does not automatically subject a player to disciplinary action based solely on a civil verdict; the league will still have to conduct its own investigation and reach a conclusion through the collective bargaining process.
Regardless, the discovery of two civil battery cases, along with a $500,000 verdict, could lead one or more potentially interested teams to refrain from pursuing him. Especially since the league could still conclude that Hill violated policy regarding the two incidents on which Hill lost – and all of the incidents on which he prevailed.
Gn sports
