‘Pacman’ Jones owes millions to victims in strip club shooting
June 15, 2012 - 4:30 pm
NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones owes more than $11 million for his role in the February 2007 Las Vegas strip club shooting that left two men wounded, one of whom was paralyzed, a Clark County jury ruled Friday.
Tommy Urbanski and his wife, Kathleen, wept and held each other as the verdict was read and the couple were awarded about $10 million in compensatory damages. Urbanski, who was on his way to work as a bouncer at the Minxx strip club, was paralyzed from the waist down in the shooting.
Tommy Urbanski, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get around, declined to comment after the verdict.
"He finally has justice after 5½ years," Urbanski's lawyer Matthew Dushoff said. "Maybe now he can afford to get some of the (equipment) that he needs to make (his life) better."
Aaron Cudworth, another bouncer at the strip club who was also shot, was awarded about $1.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
"I'm just happy it's over. It's been a long time," Cudworth said afterward.
Cudworth's attorney Richard Schonfeld said he was pleased that "Adam Jones is finally being held accountable."
Jones' lawyer Lisa Rasmussen said afterward that the 28-year-old Cincinnati Bengals defensive back was very disappointed in the verdict. Jones testified during the trial but was not in attendance for the verdict.
JONES FINANCIALLY 'ANNIHILATED'
"It's the kind of judgment he likely won't ever be able to satisfy," she said.
Rasmussen said that the high compensatory award the jury gave the plaintiffs "annihilated" Jones financially.
Jones has a $950,000, one-year contract to play cornerback for the Bengals this year. Last year he had a $500,000 contract but only played in eight of 16 games and was paid $250,000 before taxes, Rasmussen said.
She said he has had on one multimillion-dollar contract, and that ended after the 2007 incident.
Rasmussen said the case will be appealed. She said there was never any direct evidence presented that Jones ordered the shooter to fire on anyone, just "circumstantial speculation" and "sympathetic plaintiffs, who everyone feels very badly for."
Lawyers for the Urbanskis and Cudworth were seeking about $30 million for the couple and $3 million for Cudworth in punitive damages. Cudworth was awarded $300,000 in punitive damages. The jury gave no punitive damages to Urbanski.
A member of the jury declined to speak to a reporter following the verdict.
Of the eight jurors, seven were white, and one was black. The black female juror was the only one who disagreed with the verdict.
Later this month Jones will address rookie NFL players about his off-the-field problems and the consequences.
"I'm sure this is something he will speak to the rookies about," Rasmussen said.
Jones was sentenced to a year of probation for his role in the February 2007 incident.
He pleaded no contest in December 2007 to conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, after agreeing to testify against Arvin Edwards, the shooter who authorities say tried to extort money from Jones for "services rendered." Jones said he never ordered the shooting and refused to pay.
Edwards took a plea deal before the trial and was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison for one count of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.
'MAKING IT RAIN'
Authorities said the Minxx strip club fracas, which occurred during the NBA All-Star Weekend, was triggered by Jones, who showered strippers with hundreds of dollar bills as they danced. The act, known as "making it rain," was intended as a visual effect. The fight erupted when strippers began picking up the cash.
Jones and his entourage were kicked out of the club. Gunfire erupted minutes later. Three people were wounded, including Urbanski .
After the shooting, Jones was suspended from the National Football League for a year and traded by the Tennessee Titans to the Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Bengals.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.
Pacman and the Minxx