Federal Jury Finds Monterey County Liable for Death of Mark Pajas Sr. After County Failed to Provide Him Medical Care at Jail
On February 7, 2019, a seven-person jury in federal court in San Jose, CA unanimously found in favor of the family of Mark Pajas Sr., who died in the custody of Monterey County Jail on January 20, 2015. The jury found that the County of Monterey violated Mr. Pajas's right to adequate medical care under the United States Constitution when Monterey County Sheriff's Office deputies failed to adequately monitor Mr. Pajas as he detoxified from heroin, resulting in Mr. Pajas's death within twenty hours of his arrival at the Monterey County Jail in January 2015.
January 22, Orange County Jury Awards $360,000 in Excessive Force Shooting and Head-stomping Case - HSR Represents the Mother of Connor Zion, Killed by Sheriff's Deputy
A federal jury unanimously found that Orange County sheriff's deputy Michael Higgins used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution when he shot and stomped the head of Connor Zion after he no longer posed a threat. The jury awarded Connor's mother Kimberly Zion $360,000 for her son's pre-death pain and suffering.
Team Led By HSR Partner Lori Rifkin Wins Federal Court Order for Gender Confirmation Surgery for Transgender Woman in Idaho Prison
On December 13, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho ordered the Idaho Department of Corrections and its for-profit medical contractor Corizon to provide gender confirmation surgery to Plaintiff Adree Edmo within six months. For years, Defendants IDOC and Corizon have been refusing Ms. Edmo the surgery medically necessary to treat her severe gender dysphoria.
HSR Attorneys Fight for the Rights of a Homeless Community of Sober Women and Their Children in Oakland
HSR Attorneys Joshua Piovia-Scott and Jordyn Bishop represented a group of homeless women and their children who had created a sober, safe community called the Housing and Dignity Village on a vacant, publicly owned lot in Oakland. The women sued the City of Oakland when it tried to destroy the community and HSR and co-counsel argued that the recent Ninth Circuit decision in Martin v. City of Boise, which held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits criminal penalties against homeless people for sleeping on public property if there is no shelter space available, should apply to this encampment. As a result of HSR's efforts, the women were able to stay in the community for weeks after the threatened eviction and HSR was able to force the City of Oakland to provide housing for the group if it wants to clear the encampment.
HSR Attorneys Represent LAUSD Assistant General Counsel in Successful Retaliation Suit Against the District
A jury in the Los Angeles County Superior Court found that the Los Angeles Unified School District retaliated against lawyer Jesus Melendez for raising concerns about the District's discriminatory practices against Latinos in promotion decisions at the District's Office of General Counsel. On October 22, 2018, the Superior Court entered judgment for Mr. Melendez in the amount of $210,833, in addition to his attorneys' fees and costs, which are estimated at over $1,000,000. Dan Stormer and Caitlan McLoon of Hadsell Stormer Renick and attorney Toni Jaramilla of Toni J. Jaramilla, A Professional Law Corporation, represented Melendez.
HSR Attorneys Are Best Lawyers in the 2019 Southern California Peer Review. Two partners are selected as Individual Lawyers of the Year
In the Los Angeles area, Dan Stormer was chosen as Lawyer of the Year in the Employment Law-Individual category and Cornelia Dai was chosen as Lawyer of the Year in the Litigation-Labor and Employment category.
