A Multnomah County jury has slapped former Portland Timbers player Andy Polo with a $600,000 judgment after finding him liable for assaulting and battering his estranged wife, Génessis Alarcón, as reported by OregonLive. Alarcón's lawsuit claimed that during a May 2021 altercation in their Beaverton apartment, Polo pushed her to the ground and yanked her hair in view of their two kids.
Though prosecutors decided against pressing criminal charges against Polo who now plays his soccer in Peru for Universitario Deportes after being ousted by the Timbers the civil case went forth, with the jury reportedly being exposed to recordings of the conflict and a remote testimony by Alarcón. The soccer star found himself in deeper water when he fired his legal team and bailed on a court appearance last September, which nearly cost him the case by default until a last-minute legal Hail Mary got him back in the game.
While it remains to be seen if Polo will attempt an appeal, his nonchalant approach during the trial, including getting muted by the judge for being argumentative and subsequently disconnecting from the virtual courtroom without presenting any evidence, was highlighted by Alarcón's attorney, Michael Fuller. Fuller shared with ESPN that collecting the hefty sum faces hurdles since Polo's assets are likely kept overseas, making it tricky to execute the judgment unless he steps foot on U.S. turf to play in games such as the summer's Copa America, where Peru is slated for action.
The possibility of the legal victory affecting Polo's athletic commitments begs attention as the midfielder is expected to play for Peru in the forthcoming Copa America hosted by the States this June. His team's schedule will take them from Arlington, Texas, to Kansas City, Kansas, and down to Miami Gardens, Florida if the midfielder decides to make an appearance. The chase to get what Alarcón's could begin as Fuller plans to "domesticate the judgment in the states he travels to," according to his statement to ESPN. Meanwhile, Polo's participation with his national team in additional matches could further entangle his legal and professional predicament.
A small detail in this larger saga is the parental company of the Timbers, Peregrine Sports LLC, had settled privately with Alarcón last March after she included them in her lawsuit which was initially filed in federal court before moving to state jurisdiction. Even as this chapter concludes, the repercussions for Andy Polo are far from over, both on and off the pitch, as The Game Nashville neatly summed, sealing yet another example of the long arm of justice reaching into the world of sports with firm resolve.
