Civil Rights

Plaintiff claims use of excessive force during arrest for suspected car theft. Defense verdict. San Diego County.

Carlsbad police officers alleged to use excessive force in making arrest of non-English-speaking man.

Case Name: Jose Luis Barajas Centeno v. City of Carlsbad, Jordan Walker, James Gallivan
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Type of Case: Civil Rights

Civil rights claims include shooting of dog by deputies. $800K. Fresno County.

As police search a home for a suspect, plaintiffs' dog allegedly attacks a K9 and is shot by the K9 handler.

Case Name: Veronica Ordaz Gonzalez, Jose Ramos Santiago, Omar Perez and Roberto Perez v. County of Fresno, Deputy Courtney Bush, Deputy Jeffrey Morse, Sergeant James Dunn and Deputy Isaac Cervantes
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Type of Case: Animal Encounter, Civil Rights

"Pat down" of suspect in dangerous location causes his death. $12M. Los Angeles County.

Man being searched for weapons on train platform is killed when he is struck by arriving train.

Case Name: Estate of Cesar Rodriguez and Rosa Moreno v. City of Long Beach and Martin Ron
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Friday, January 20, 2023
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Negligence, Wrongful Death

Woman claims sexual assault by hotel massage therapist. Defense verdict. Alameda County.

Client says the male massage therapist touched her inappropriately.

Case Name: Jane Doe v. The Claremont Hotel & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, November 08, 2022
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Sexual Battery

Plaintiff shot by LAPD rubber bullet. $1.5M. Los Angeles County.

Plaintiff is shot outside Staples Center as crowd celebrates a big win.

Case Name: Kimberly Marroquin v. Unidentified LAPD Officer, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Friday, October 14, 2022
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Excessive Force, Police Shooting

School custodian wrongfully terminated after injury. $35.5M. Santa Cruz County.

School District's workers' comp administrator is blamed for providing misleading information. Verdict includes $27 million in punitive damages against administrator.

Case Name: Ruvalcaba v. Santa Cruz City Schools, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Discrimination, ADA, Emotional Distress, Employment, Wrongful Termination

Civil rights case against plainclothes officer. $710K. San Joaquin County.

Police officer says he intervened when convenience store clerk wanted customer to leave the market following argument. Video suggests otherwise.

Case Name: Joseph Green v. City of Stockton, City of Stockton Police Department, Officer Robert Johnson and Officer Robert Wong
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Type of Case: Civil Rights

Inmate suffering heroin withdrawal dies in county jail. $1.6M. Monterey County.

Family says he told jail staff he was in withdrawal and they failed to provide medical care.

Case Name: Mark Vasquez Pajas, et al. v. County of Monterey, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, February 07, 2019
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Wrongful Death

Police shooting results in wrongful death claim. Defense. Santa Clara County.

Police shoot a murder suspect, believing him to be armed.

Case Name: Jacquez v. City of San Jose, Jacob Morris
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Monday, September 10, 2018
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Police Shooting, Wrongful Death

African American says his Caltrans co-workers racially harassed and discriminated against him. $1M. Los Angeles County.

Caltrans worker says he complained repeatedly but supervisors failed to act.

Case Name: Scudder v. Caltrans
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Friday, March 09, 2018
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Discrimination, Racial, Employment

Defense verdict for City of Carlsbad in excessive force case. San Diego County.

Angry words between a civilian and police officer turn into an arrest, with police accused of excessive force after plaintiff tries to flee.

Case Name: Cindy Michelle Hahn and Brandon Hahn v. City of Carlsbad, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, August 03, 2017
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Excessive Force

Defendant prison guards liable for inciting attack on prisoner. $130K.

After a "lifer" inmate files a grievance, the guards encourage other inmates to beat him.

Case Name: Kevin Darnell Bryant v. Patrick Gallagher, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Thursday, May 18, 2017
Type of Case: Civil Rights

Excessive force claimed when 7 officers respond to vandalism call. Wrongful shooting death. $2 million. Los Angeles County.

Intoxicated man, unarmed, provokes police with broomsticks and rocks. Nonlethal-force options were deployed, but one officer ends up shooting him.

Case Name: Ramirez v. LAPD
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Excessive Force, Police Shooting, Wrongful Death

Soledad prisoner falsely "validated" as a gang member, segregated. $535K.

Prisoner misclassified as gang member is placed in more restrictive housing unit.

Case Name: Percelle v Pearson, et al
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Type of Case: Civil Rights

Second trial on false arrest charges results in $50K against LAPD. Los Angeles County.

Plaintiffs claimed they were falsely arrested during a large-scale police search in their neighborhood.

Case Name: Cesar Otero, Fernando Quintana, Jr, Fernando Quintana Sr, Diana Rayos, Judy Quintana v. City of Los Angeles, et al.
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Type of Case: Civil Rights, False Arrest/Imprisonment

911 call results in police shooting/killing young man. $2.2 million. Los Angeles County.

Young African-American with knives is tasered by one officer and shot by another after family calls police because he is threatening to kill himself.

Case Name: Eaddy v. City of Los Angeles
Date of Verdict or Judgment: Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Type of Case: Civil Rights, Wrongful Death