SAN DIEGO: Jury Finds Police Did Not Discriminate Against Man Arrested For “Nudity” At Gay Pride Parade

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports:

A federal jury on Tuesday rejected a claim that five San Diego police officers discriminated against a scantily clad man in a gladiator costume at a gay pride festival in Balboa Park. The verdict from eight jurors in the civil-rights lawsuit filed by Will X. Walters came after two hours of deliberation.

Walters, who was arrested after an encounter with the officers at the 2011 San Diego Pride Parade and Festival, accused the city of selectively enforcing the public nudity law at the event because of a bias against the LGBT community.

“The jury confirmed what we’ve always known, which is that San Diego does not discriminate in its enforcement of nudity laws,” City Attorney’s Office spokesman Gerry Braun said in a statement. “Our office would not tolerate discrimination against the LGBT community or any other group.”

Deputy City Attorney Stacy Plotkin-Wolff argued that public nudity was enforced the same at pride festivities in 2011 as it was at every other special event patrolled by San Diego police, such as Mardi Gras, Comic-Con or the Over The Line tournament.

Back in April a federal appeals court ruled that there was enough evidence of anti-gay discrimination for the case to proceed to a jury trial.