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Jury Selection Begins In Stow's Negligence Suit Against McCourt

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Jury selection began Tuesday in Bryan Stow's civil lawsuit against former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.

The suit alleges the team was negligent for not having enough security at the March 2011 home opener when the San Francisco Giants fan was brutally attacked by two fans.

Rialto residents Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood are accused of repeatedly kicking Stow in the head in one of the Dodger Stadium parking lots after the game.

Both men accepted plea deals in February and were sentenced to prison.

Stow, now 44, nearly died in the attack and has permanent brain damage.

Stow himself appeared in the courtroom for the jury selection process on Tuesday.

Stow was wheeled into the courthouse in a wheelchair, surrounded by family, as a hundred prospective jurors were filed into the courtroom.

Meanwhile, attorneys began their statements over the claim of negligence on the part of McCourt to provide proper security.

"These guys were doing bad acts, which violated the Dodger code of security, from the second inning," Stow's attorney Thomas Girardi said. "So they had three hours and thirty minutes, basically, to do something about these guys."

The defense argues that the security at the stadium on Opening Day, 2011, was the largest single security force ever presented at Dodger Stadium, and that Stow had a blood alcohol level of over twice the legal driving limit.

Stow is said to be seeking a figure of about $38 million.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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