Keanu Connection

Jury unanimous: Keanu Reeves doesn’t owe paparazzo

Posted on 03. Nov, 2008 by Luciana in News

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a most excellent outcome for Keanu Reeves in his civil trial: He doesn’t owe a paparazzo who sued him a dime.

After deliberating for less than three hours, jurors unanimously rejected the case Monday, ruling that Reeves is not responsible for the photographer’s alleged injuries. Alison Silva had asked the jury to award him $711,974, which includes medical bills, lost wages and punitive damages.

Silva claimed that the star of “The Matrix,” “Speed” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” struck him with his Porsche in March 2007, causing him to fall and injure his left wrist.

Over the course of five days, jurors heard how Silva gave contradictory statements about what happened and even saw a video of the celeb shooter using his supposedly damaged hand to scale down a chain link fence after getting video of Britney Spears.

Attorneys for both sides issued closing arguments Friday before the jury deliberated about five minutes and left for the weekend. They resumed their work Monday morning.

The panel was a decidedly Hollywood bunch. One of the jurors said he is an animator for “The Simpsons,” while another helps coordinate movie shoots in public parks. A pair of actresses and a former voice-over artist were eliminated from the jury pool.

Reeves, who stars in the upcoming remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” testified early on. He remained in the courtroom throughout, occasionally conferring with his lawyers and signing autographs in the hallway.

Source: Associated Press

Tags: paparazzo