Jury Rules Against Foxborough in Gillette Stadium Protective Custody Case

Jurors have ruled that police in Foxborough did violate the civil rights of the two plaintiffs in the Weldner-Dutton case when they were placed into protective custody during a show at Gillette Stadium.

Deliberations took place Monday afternoon according to NBC Providence, after a seven-day trial.

The plaintiffs’ attorney said while those in the lawsuit were drinking during stadium events, they were not incapacitated. State law allows police to place a person in protective custody if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others and has no one to take care of them.

Town attorneys argued that the law was used as intended and police acted legally and responsibly.

The lawsuit stemmed from an incident where concertgoers at a Bruce Springsteen show in 2012 were taken into protective custody. Town officials were initially worried that the case could turn into a class action lawsuit, costing the town millions of dollars in insurance deductibles.

An attorney for the town said they might appeal the ruling.