Jury trial set in Voyeur case

A jury-trial date has been tentatively set in the case of Rosauro Nery, who claims a man jumped from the second floor of Voyeur Nightclub and landed on him.

The incident allegedly took place between 2-3 a.m. July 8, 2012, at the nightclub, located at 1221 St. James St.

Abdel Youssef allegedly jumped from the second floor and landed on Nery, who was on the first-floor dance floor, according to court records.

Youssef couldn’t be reached for comment.

Nery allegedly suffered serious injuries to his head, neck, chest, ribs, sternum and back. He’s suing for more than $50,000 in damages.

According to Nery’s complaint, he acted prudently during the incident and didn’t contribute in any manner to his injuries.

Nery’s attorney, Edith A. Pearce, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Christopher J. Pakuris, an attorney for Voyeur, said the nightclub wasn’t at fault.

“I don’t see any responsibility or liability on the nightclub,” Pakuris told PGN. “If there’s any liability, it’s on the guy that jumped.”

He added: “Club security caught [Youssef] and turned him over to the police.”

Pakuris has subpoenaed the city for police records pertaining to the incident, he said.

Pakuris also said Voyeur has ample security, and that security is enhanced by Philadelphia police during weekends.

“[Voyeur] has more security and better-trained security that most nightclubs,” Pakuris noted.

The case is in the discovery phase, and Nery gave a deposition on May 7.

The jury-trial date is tentatively set for 10 a.m. Dec. 7 in Room 646 of City Hall. The presiding judge hasn’t been announced. 

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Tim Cwiek
Tim Cwiek has been writing for PGN since the 1970s. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from West Chester State University. In 2013, he received a Sigma Delta Chi Investigative Reporting Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his reporting on the Nizah Morris case. Cwiek was the first reporter for an LGBT media outlet to win an award from that national organization. He's also received awards from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, the National Newspaper Association, the Keystone Press and the Pennsylvania Press Club.