Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man who avoided a criminal prosecution for a deadly neighborhood shooting four years ago has been ordered to pay more than $250,000 in civil damages to the victims. A state Supreme Court jury found Jasper Lemon Jr. responsible in varying degrees for the three victims. He was found 80 percent responsible for the death of...
Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man who avoided a criminal prosecution for a deadly neighborhood shooting four years ago has been ordered to pay more than $250,000 in civil damages to the victims.
A state Supreme Court jury found Jasper Lemon Jr. responsible in varying degrees for the three victims.
He was found 80 percent responsible for the death of Albert Maeweather, 100 percent responsible for the injury to Timothy Maeweather and 25 percent responsible for the injury to Amar Chavis, according to lawyer James Meggesto. Meggesto’s firm represented Chavis in the trial before state Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph.
The shooting occurred June 25, 2006, as a dispute between two families in the 200 block of Kenmore Avenue exploded in violence.
Authorities said Lemon opened fire with a .22-caliber rifle from an upstairs bedroom window in his home as a group of 15 to 20 men gathered in the street outside, yelling threats to break into the residence and kill Lemon and his family.
Although Lemon initially was charged with murder and attempted murder, an Onondaga County grand jury voted not to file any charges against him, concluding he was justified in his conduct.
While that spared Lemon a criminal prosecution and possible prison sentence, it did not prevent him from being sued by the two shooting survivors and the estate of the victim who was killed.
Meggesto said the jury reached the verdict Oct. 15.
Prior to that trial, the lawyers on both sides had agreed to cap any damages at $125,000 per person, he said.
Based on the jury’s apportioning of responsibility, the verdict amounts to an award of $125,000 to Albert Maeweather’s estate, $100,000 to his brother, Timothy Maeweather; and $31,250 to Chavis, Meggesto said.