Man who claimed beating by deputies awarded $65G

A federal jury has awarded $65,000 to a man who said he was savagely beaten by sheriff's deputies at the Suffolk District Court in Central Islip five years ago over his request to wear socks.

Perrim Anderson, 38, had sought millions of dollars in damages that he said occurred after he requested to wear a pair of socks while he was detained on a harassment warrant involving a former girlfriend, records show.

Anderson, of Hempstead, claimed the beating began when Deputy Vincent Aparicio told him that as a former detainee at the court, he should know that prisoners were not allowed to wear socks.

Anderson said the incident took a violent turn when he told Aparicio he had never actually been detained at the court.

But Assistant Suffolk County Attorney Arlene Zwilling denied Anderson's claims, saying Anderson was verbally abusive and had to be restrained in handcuffs.

After six days of testimony and two days of deliberations, the jury in federal District Court in Central Islip on Monday awarded the money, saying that Aparicio violated Anderson's constitutional rights.

But the seven-member jury found that a second deputy being sued, Maria McAuley, had not harmed Anderson. Anderson also brought suit against a third deputy, Joseph Walker, but U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert dismissed that suit before the case went to the jury, according to court records and Anderson's attorney Frederick Brewington.

"This ruling serves as a vindication of Mr. Anderson's five-year struggle to seek justice," Brewington said.

Suffolk County spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter declined to comment, citing continuing legal motions being filed in the case.