Fazaga v. FBI was brought in 2011 by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the Council for American-Islamic Relations of Greater Los Angeles (CAIR), and the law firm Hadsell Stormer & Renick LLP on behalf of attendees of the Islamic Center of Irvine, a mosque in Orange County.
HSR Partner Dan Stormer Named 2019 ASLA Top 100 Lawyer
Dan Stormer has been included in the top 100 attorneys in the Litigation Practice Area in California. Candidates are carefully assessed based on "educational accomplishments, involvement and leadership in bar associations and professional organizations, activities within their community, and demonstrated legal achievement." (https://societyoflegaladvocates.org).
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.
Cornelia Dai to Speak at Employment Law 101: Fundamentals for the New Employment Practitioner on February 7, 2019
On Thursday, February 7, 2019, Cornelia Dai will be speaking at the CA Lawyers Association Labor & Employment Law Section's Employment Law 101 program in Los Angeles. The one-day conference will cover the key state and federal employment laws and provide an overview of practical and need-to-know topics, including leave of absence compliance, employment agreements, arbitration and mediation, and wage-and-hour violations. Cornelia Dai will bring her years of knowledge and insights as a wage and hour practitioner to provide the plaintiff's perspective on the Wage and Hour Basics panel. To find out more, go to:
Team Led By HSR Partner Lori Rifkin Wins Federal Court Order for Gender Confirmation Surgery for Transgender Woman in Idaho Prison
Team Led By HSR Partner Lori Rifkin Wins Federal Court Order for Gender Confirmation Surgery for Transgender Woman in Idaho Prison
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.
NLG Unlawful Detainer Training / MCLE
Nancy Hanna, with Ana Zuniga of the Shriver Housing Project, will present a discovery training at the National Lawyers Guild -LA Housing Committee MCLE on Eviction Defense and Trial Preparation. The MCLE training will be held November 17-18 and cover topics including the prevention of unlawful detainers, answers, witness prep and jury selection. Additional information may be found, and tickets purchased, here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nlg-la-housing-committee-mcle-eviction-defense-and-trial-preparation-tickets-51162712049
HSR Attorneys Obtain Court Order Preventing Oakland From Removing Homeless Camp
HSR attorney Joshua Piovia-Scott, working with the members of a clean and sober homeless encampment of women and children, obtained a court order preventing the City of Oakland from removing the homeless encampment until at least November 26, 2018, when a decision will be made as to whether the City is violating their constitutional rights. HSR is arguing that the recent Ninth Circuit decision in Martin v. Boise, 902 F. 3d 1031, in which the court held that a statute that imposes criminal sanctions against homeless people for sleeping outdoors violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment when there are insufficient shelter beds to house these individuals, applies to this situation.
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.
