Attorneys representing Los Angeles County are requesting that a judge dismiss the punitive damages claim in a lawsuit filed by an individual who identifies as a porn actress. The plaintiff alleges that she was inappropriately touched by sheriff’s deputies after being arrested at the Abbey Bar & Grill in West Hollywood in 2022.
In the lawsuit, filed in the Beverly Hills Superior Court, the plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, accuses the deputies of sexual battery, sexual assault, battery by a law enforcement officer, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.
However, Los Angeles County lawyers argue in court documents submitted to Judge Edward B. Moreton, Jr. that the state Government Code prohibits a plaintiff from being awarded punitive damages against a public entity.
“Therefore, as Los Angeles County is a public entity and the sole properly named defendant in this case, punitive damages are not legally recoverable,” state the county attorneys in their court papers submitted ahead of the scheduled hearing on August 31.
Doe was present at the Abbey on April 16, 2022, which is described in the lawsuit as an LGBTQ-friendly establishment situated on Robertson Boulevard. The suit states that she was socializing with friends and other patrons while wearing a black skirt and a top adorned with the Brazzers logo, which refers to a pornographic video production company.
“The plaintiff is a well-known and easily recognizable female adult entertainer or porn star actress,” the lawsuit, filed on June 1, asserts. “Due to her popularity, she is frequently recognized by viewers of pornographic videos and consumers of mainstream media.”
The suit claims that Doe was detained and arrested, but does not specify the reasons behind her arrest. She alleges that two deputies removed her bra and engaged in inappropriate touching, and then instructed her to remove her underwear while she was seated in the back of a patrol car.
Doe further accuses the deputies, who were all non-Black individuals, of being aware of her status as a porn actress and believing that she was “deserving of the indignity of being sexually violated.”
The suit asserts that Doe continues to experience fear for her health, safety, and freedom, as well as emotional distress resulting from her encounter with the deputies. It also states that she hesitated to take legal action due to concerns about potential retaliation from the deputies.
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