Aspen – Two men who got into a barroom tiff with Latin pop star Luis Miguel intend to carry the dispute into civil court.
On the same day a criminal court hearing for Miguel, 35, was postponed for two weeks, attorneys for Jason Moan of Aspen and California resident William Hardy held a news conference to confirm they intend to file a civil lawsuit against the Grammy-winning singer and his bodyguard.
Surrounded by several reporters and cameramen who flew to Aspen from Mexico to cover Wednesday’s hearing, attorneys Alan Feldman and Jeff Wertz said they have attempted to contact representatives for Miguel but have received no response.
According to police reports, Miguel punched Moan in the face Jan. 3 just moments after asking him, “Don’t you know who I am?” Moan, who is employed as a barman at the St. Regis Resort Aspen, was attempting to calm down Miguel’s bodyguard, Julio Cesar Camera, who had put Hardy in a “full nelson” and “a chokehold,” police said.
Police say the disturbance began when Hardy approached Miguel’s table, asked him to “sing a few bars” and then insulted his musical abilities.
Because witnesses said Miguel is the only one to have thrown a punch, police issued him a municipal summons for assault and battery, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“We don’t hold press conferences and we don’t talk about pending cases for any of our clients,” said Miguel’s attorney, Lawson Wills of Glenwood Springs. He declined further comment.
Moan was arrested Dec. 23 for disorderly conduct in an unrelated fight, according to police records. That case is pending in municipal court.
Miguel, whose star is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has sold more than 50 million records and has won four Grammy awards. He is the only Latin American performer to have two platinum albums in the United States.
