We are pleased to announce that our client, EL, has recently settled his claims of malicious prosecution and denial of a fair trial against members of the NYPD for $150,000. EL was driving a rental car when he was stopped by officers in the Bronx, who–acting on a tip from an informant–asked to search EL’s trunk. EL, who believed he had nothing to hide, readily consented. The officers then stated they found a handgun in the trunk. EL, who always denied any knowledge or connection to the gun, was acquitted at trial and then hired LLG to sue for compensation. The case ended with a settlement in the amount of $150,000.
Tag: denial of fair trial
LLG Wins Reinstatement of Wrongful Prosecution Case on Appeal
Our client, TK, was wrongly arrested and prosecuted for a narcotics offense he had no involvement in. The criminal prosecution was eventually dismissed for what is commonly called a speedy trial violation, which means that prosecutors were unable to proceed with his case in a timely way. TK then filed suit. In April 2020, a federal district judge dismissed his claims against the arresting officers for malicious prosecution and the denial of his right to a fair trial, which is the formal name of a claim where police officers lie to prosecutors. Michael Lumer appealed the case for TK.
Earlier today the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the dismissal of the wrongful prosecution claims and sent the case back to the district court, where it is now ready for trial.
Trial Verdict for False Arrest and Malicious Prosecution
We are pleased to announce that our client TM recently obtained a jury verdict following atrial in federal court in Manhattan in December 2019, leading to a final award of $260,000. The defendant officers, including detectives Jeremy Ramos and Shelby Jones, claimed they personally witnessed TM participate in a drug sale, and they and members of their narcotics team, wrongly arrested plaintiff and caused him to be criminally prosecuted. He was later acquitted at his criminal trial.
These criminal charges were fundamentally false, as plaintiff was not present at, and had no involvement in, the drug transaction, as the officers fully understood. We then helped TM sue the officers responsible. The jury in the civil case agreed with plaintiff, finding specifically that he was not involved in the drug sale, and that he was wrongly arrested, maliciously prosecuted, and denied his right to a fair trial. The jury awarded TM $40,000 in compensatory damages, and an additional $30,000 in punitive damages, which were assessed against detectives Ramos and Jones.
In January 2020, the City of New York agreed to pay plaintiff $85,000 (which is $15,000 more than what the jury had originally awarded him), as well as $175,000 more to cover his legal fees and costs to fully resolve the action.
$120k Trial Verdict
LLG just obtained a substantial verdict for our client, TH, following a jury trial in a Brooklyn federal court on TH’s civil rights claims. TH was wrongly arrested during a search warrant execution on Valentine’s Day in 2015. He was jailed for five days and then brought to court, where prosecutors promptly dismissed all charged.
The arresting detective, Essence Jackson, provided a fundamentally falsified version of events to prosecutors to justify TH’s arrest. The jury rejected Jackson’s trial testimony, which was directly contradicted by his own partner, and, on October 30, awarded plaintiff $90k in compensatory damages for his false arrest and denial of fair trial claims, as well as $30k in punitive damages against Detective Jackson. The defendant is also liable for all of TH’s legal fees, the amount of which will be determined by the court.
Michael Lumer was co-counsel for TH at trial with Robert Marinelli, Esq.