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Jamaica man loses false arrest lawsuit against city

By Courtney Dentch

Anthony Boyd sued the city and two New York Police Department detectives following his arrest and prosecution on possession of stolen property charges in 1996 when he told police he had purchased a black Isuzu Trooper from a man at a Kennedy Airport parking lot, according to a release from the city Law Department.

Boyd was convicted of the charges and served two years in prison before the verdict was overturned on appeal due to a technicality, the release said.

A federal jury in Brooklyn decided June 30 that the officers had probable cause to arrest Boyd and provide information to the Queens district attorney's office to further the prosecution, the release said.

“This win capped eight years of frivolous litigation in state and federal tribunals concerning this incident and it was a gratifying victory against a plaintiff who attempted to use the reversal of his conviction on technical grounds as a springboard for a lucrative claim against the city,” said Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo. “The city will continue to fight cases like this in the future.”

Boyd could not be reached for comment.

The case started in January 1996, when the Isuzu was reported stolen from Nassau County, the release said. The car was soon spotted in Jamaica across the street from Boyd's house and officers linked the vehicle to Boyd, the release said. When the detectives talked to Boyd, he said he owned the Isuzu and that he had bought it at Kennedy Airport for $75 from a man who said he was leaving the country, the release said.

Boyd was arrested on stolen property charges and was convicted. Boyd won an appeal and his conviction was overturned based on a trial court error, but the details of the mistake were unclear.

Boyd sued the officers, who were not identified by the city, and the city itself, charging he was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted. Specifically, Boyd claimed the officers had arrested him before he told them he had bought the car. He also said they did not read him his Miranda rights before the statement was made and therefore the statement could not be used in the prosecution's original case.

He also sought monetary damages from the city but the exact amount was unavailable.

The case was heard during a three-day jury trial last month in the Eastern District of New York, the federal court based in Brooklyn. The jury handed down a verdict for the city June 30, saying there was probable cause for the prosecution, the release said.

“Two well-intentioned officers were simply trying to ensure that they had the right man and the right car,” said Assistant Corporation Counsel Jennifer Rossan, who argued the case.

Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.