A judge in Broward County, Florida, has granted immunity from civil lawsuit to kickboxer Joe Schilling, who in December 2020 knocked out a man in a Fort Lauderdale restaurant. Balboa had claimed he was “attacked and assaulted” in the altercation, and his legal team had accused Schilling and the restaurant of negligence.

However, the circuit court judge found that Schilling was justified in the use of force in accordance with Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. Schilling’s attorney, David Katz, described the verdict as “a complete and total victory” and confirmed that his client will be seeking to recover legal costs from Balboa, whose attorney said he is likely to appeal the decision.