When San Francisco taxi driver Holden Charles Hollom saw a mugger knock down a Japanese tourist and grab her purse, he drove off in hot pursuit and pinned the suspect against the wall with his cab, breaking the man's leg.
The mugger, Ocie McClure, was found guilty of robbery and sentenced to 10 years in prison. But then he filed a damage suit against Hollom. Earlier this month a jury found that Hollom used excessive force in making a citizen's arrest and ordered him to pay McClure $24,595.
The verdict provoked a swift outcry from crime-exhausted San Franciscans. Although Hollom's employer,...