Jurors to Hear Wahler Arrest Details

Fri., Oct. 24, 2008 12:43 PM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for SocalVibe

The jury in Jason Wahler's civil trial next month is going to have a lot to go on now.

The Hills star's lawyer has given the OK for panelists to hear evidence regarding Wahler's 2006 arrest for assaulting a tow truck driver.

The victim, Dario Stevenson, sued the 21-year-old reality star and his then-girlfriend, model Kristen DeLuca, in August 2007, accusing the pair of roughing him up while he was working with a Department of Transportation officer to impound another car.

Last month, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth A. Grimes scheduled a Nov. 3 trial date.

At the same time, Her Honor barred Stevenson's lawyer from bringing up Wahler's no-contest plea stemming from the criminal side of the case—for which the Laguna Beach bum subsequently avoided a two-month stint in jail by entering rehab.

At today's final status conference, Wahler's legal eagles agreed not to challenge a petition by the plaintiff to allow jurors to hear testimony concerning Wahler's behavior when the cops took him into custody. They also agreed to allow Stevenson's camp to bring up statements the TV bad boy made to police at the time of the bust.

For her part, Grimes prohibited either party from revealing to the panel what the TV bad boy was charged with, declaring it inadmissable.

"I'm just not persuaded that the jury needs to know what he was arrested on," the judge reportedly told the parties.

Grimes previously ruled off-limits unflattering details about Wahler's past, including a history of previous run-ins with the law, and his celebrity status.

But his behavior during the alleged smackdown is sure to be front and center at the trial, especially considering Stevenson, who's black, has accused the reality star of lobbing the N-word at the tow truck driver repeatedly in an alcohol-fueled tirade.

Stevenson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Wahler for the verbal and physical beatdown. DeLuca has since settled with the driver, agreeing to pay him $3,000 for her role in the altercation.