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Jury rules in favor of O'Connor in slander trial
(note: O'Connor will appear on Larry King Live 9 p.m. EST)
July 25, 1997
Web posted at: 1:39 p.m. EDT (1739 GMT)LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The jury ruled in favor of Carroll O' Connor in a slander suit against the actor Friday.
The suit arose from remarks O'Connor made during television interviews after his son's death. O'Connor is best known for his role as the opinionated Archie Bunker in the television show "All in the Family." Hugh O'Connor shot himself to death in March 1995.
O'Connor blamed Harry Perzigian for his son's death, claiming that had his son not been addicted to drugs Perzigian supplied him, he would not have shot himself.
Perzigian, who was convicted of possessing and furnishing cocaine to Hugh O'Connor, served a brief jail sentence and filed suit for slander when he was released. He seeks unspecified damages in the case; he said he never sold drugs to Hugh O'Connor, although he admitted sharing the drug with him recreationally for a number of years.
He also maintains that the night of Hugh's death, he brought him no cocaine, only a bottle of rum. Police testified during Perzigian's trial that they found no rum in Hugh O'Connor's apartment when investigating the shooting.
Jurors required to find 'despicable conduct'
The jury of six men and six women received the case Thursday morning. A majority of nine is sufficient to reach a verdict.
Jurors were instructed by County Court Judge Malcolm Mackey that, to find in favor of the plaintiff, they would have to conclude O'Connor's public statements amounted to "despicable conduct" so wretched that "it would be looked down upon and despised by ordinary decent people."
In one interview, the actor called Perzigian "a partner in murder." In another, he called him "a lawbreaker." He also gave out Perzigian's address and showed his photo.
And in yet another interview, he said, "Harry Perzigian, you sleaze-ball. We're going to get you," and "I want to hurt him in the worst way." Perzigian said he was in fear of his life after hearing the last two statements.
O'Connor said the remarks were intended solely to expose Perzigian as a drug dealer and that "partner in murder" was a figure of speech. Far from showing remorse for his statements, O'Connor continued to berate the songwriter and turned the trial into a pulpit for his message against the evil of drugs.
'David vs. Goliath' case -- plaintiff's attorney
O'Connor's lawyer, Lucy Inman, told jurors their decision would have wide-ranging repercussions, suggesting that a victory for Perzigian would inhibit victims from denouncing drug dealers.
"A verdict of even $1 would reward a criminal and silence victims," she said. "You have the power to tell the world that in the United States a grieving parent can speak out against a drug dealer without being afraid."
Perzigian's lawyer, Allan Sigel, portrayed the case as a David vs. Goliath battle between "a little guy" and "a big-time movie star." He accused O'Connor of using the power of his celebrity to persecute "a nobody."
Sigel said Perzigian wasn't responsible for Hugh O'Connor's death; instead, his client's life has been ruined by Carroll O'Connor's statements. "He lost the fun of being alive," he said. "He goes out and people say, 'There's the guy that killed Hugh O'Connor.'"
Related sites:
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- San Diego Source -- Actor Carroll O' Connor Supports Bill to Sue Drug Dealers
- San Diego Source -- Man Linked to Actor's Late Son Found Guilty of Possessing Cocaine
- Letter to Carroll O'Connor, John L. Ferri
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