Common Pleas Court Judge Nicholas M. D'Alessandro ruled yesterday that he does have the authority to hear the Philadelphia Eagles' lawsuit challenging the city's handling of the Oct. 4 union protest at Veterans Stadium.
D'Alessandro issued a decree rejecting the argument of city attorneys that the constitutional separation of the executive and judicial branches of government should bar him from hearing the Eagles' suit.
The Eagles contend in their lawsuit that, as a result of the unruly demonstration by 3,000 unionists during the National Football League players strike, the city should be found in contempt of a court injunction that limited stadium picketing. The lack of police protection by the city, the Eagles say, violated the terms of their Veterans Stadium lease.
