The 6-Month Deadline You just lost a family member to a police shooting. Or a loved one died in a California jail. You are grieving. You are trying to understand what happened. The last thing on your mind is a legal filing deadline. But there is a deadline — and it is one of the most unforgiving rules in California law. If you miss it, you may lose your right

Jail Suicide in LA County Losing someone to suicide is devastating under any circumstances. Losing someone to suicide while they were in the custody of the government — locked in a cell, stripped of their freedom, and entirely dependent on others for their safety — is a particular kind of grief. It comes with unanswered questions, a sense that something went terribly wrong, and often, the feeling that it should

Body Camera Footage After A Police Shooting When a police officer shoots someone in California, there is often a camera running. Body-worn cameras, dashboard cameras, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses or residences may have captured exactly what happened. In a civil rights case, that footage can be the difference between justice and a closed door. But video evidence doesn’t preserve itself. If you don’t take action quickly, it can

California’s New AI Police Report Law If a police officer shot your family member, beat someone in custody, or caused a death in jail, you probably already know that what ends up in the official police report matters enormously to your case. Reports written by officers shape the narrative — and for decades, families and attorneys have had to fight to challenge them. Now, California has added a new wrinkle:

This article was written with two goals in mind. First, this article will assist attorneys as they navigate discovery disputes during the discovery phase of in-custody death cases (i.e., cases involving deaths of pretrial detainees and post-convictions prisoners in jails and prisons). Secondly, this article will provide you with the key legal arguments and case law you’ll need to rely on when filing the inevitable federal motion to compel. In

Civil rights cases have many challenges, including jurors’ perceptions of the plaintiff. Whether it be a plaintiff with a criminal history, or issues with substance abuse, the jury’s perception is one that must be shaped from the inception of the case. “Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I’m dead.” – George Perry Floyd, Jr. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was arrested by Minneapolis Police Department