C. A. Goldberg and co-counsel McLetchie Law settle groundbreaking civil rights case for $1.795m against City of Anaheim
The City of Anaheim unfairly prosecuted and jailed our client, an MBA student, who was framed on charges of sending men to her ex-fiancé’s home to attack his new wife.
Our client’s ex-fiancé and his wife engaged in a cyberstalking campaign to terrorize her, including fabricating evidence, making fraudulent police reports, and faking a sexual assault they said she caused. Our client was arrested twice and was imprisoned for 88 days, facing a dozen felony charges and the threat of a life sentence. This despite the fact that at the time of the arrests, Anaheim PD had heaps of exonerating evidence. Anaheim PD’s failure to have sound procedures regarding the collection and analysis of digital evidence led to an arrest which violates our client’s civil rights.
Hadley v. City of Anaheim was a civil rights 1983 case that overcame a motion for summary judgment defeating Anaheim’s claims that their cops had qualified immunity.
It was groundbreaking in numerous ways:
- C. A. Goldberg used Monell Liability to establish that a police department’s failure to have sound policies, procedures, and training regarding the collection and analysis of digital evidence violates a person’s civil rights.
- The successful motion for summary judgment also created new precedent for victims of domestic violence– which stated that in ongoing abusive relationships, incidents that are outside the statute of limitations can proceed to trial on the basis they are part of a course of conduct.
- The case shattered the strong civil immunity for statements civilians make to cops, recognizing that statements made to encourage a person’s arrest based on fabricated evidence and false police reports can amount to wrongful prosecution by a civilian.
Settlement:
- $1.795m against City of Anaheim
- $35k against Angela Diaz
- An undisclosed amount against one additional party
Team members from C. A. Goldberg, PLLC instrumental in the case included Carrie Goldberg, Adam Massey, Annie Seifullah, and Amna Khalid.
Money doesn’t make pain or trauma disappear, but it can make life easier for a survivor – and put institutions such as Police Departments on notice that their position affords no license to lawless and unreasonable conduct
If you are a victim of privacy violations, sexual assault, intimate partner abuse, or child sexual abuse material, and would like to talk about your legal options contact us here or by calling 646-666-8908.