Phillips v. District of Columbia

BELSON, Associate Judge:

This is an appeal from an order of the Superior Court denying a motion to alter, vacate or amend an earlier order that remitted by $9,739.35 a $10,000 jury verdict in appellant’s favor on a false arrest count without affording him the option of rejecting the remittitur and obtaining a new trial on the issue of damages. The order of remittitur had the effect of vacating in its entirety the jury’s award for appellant’s loss of liberty, and left standing only his award for out-of-pocket expenses. We conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in striking all…