California State Court Judge Dismisses Los Angeles County from Lawsuit Brought by Intoxicated NFL Fan

Jul 12, 2024

Inglewood Superior Court Judge Ronald F. Frank has dismissed Los Angeles County from a lawsuit brought by a fan, who claimed deputies outside SoFi Stadium during the 2022 NFC championship game should have put him in a form of protective custody.

Luna encountered the deputies after he was denied entrance to the stadium for not having a ticket. It was at that point, Luna’s attorneys argued, that the deputies should have placed him in a “sobering cell or a similar room or an automobile” so he would not be a danger to himself or others.

Instead, the attorneys for Daniel Luna claimed the deputies placed him “near groups of competing fans who were consuming large amounts of alcohol during a rivalry game.”

Ultimately, Luna got into a fight with Bryan Alexis Cifuentes, who dropped Luna, who was wearing a 49ers jersey, with one punch. Later, a security guard found him in the parking lot. Luna was then taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was placed in a medically induced coma.

Judge Frank wrote that “the Sheriff’s Department did not create the peril in which plaintiff found himself. (Luna) alleges that he was already inebriated when he was detained initially. The sheriffs took no affirmative action which contributed to, increased, or changed the risk which would have otherwise existed.”

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