cases in the press
Listed below are articles related to recent cases
Medina v. Samuels, et al.
Practice Area: Medical indifference
Description: Failure to provide a prisoner proper medical care
Federal court greenlights lawsuit against corrections employees for death of Denver inmate
December 24, 2020
Timmy Henley v. Westminster
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Description: Excessive force, wrongful death
Lawsuit claims Westminster Police used false narrative to justify shooting (The Denver Channel)
January 8, 2020
Henley’s family sues Colorado officers who killed him (The Ceres Courier)
January 8, 2020
Westminster police said they killed a man because he charged them with a knife. A new lawsuit says that scenario is impossible. (Denver Post)
January 6, 2020
Martinez v. Janneiahn (Lafayette PD)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Description: K-9 Excessive force
Lafayette police used K9 to attack unconscious man in his underwear, lawsuit says (Denver Post)
November 21, 2019
Brown v. McDermott (Aurora Police dept.)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Description: Unlawful stop, search and detention
Black Couple Sues Colorado Police for Illegal Search (The North Star)
April 21, 2019
Young black couple sues Aurora police after broken tail light leads to frisks, car search (The Durango Herald)
April 16, 2019
Lazzaro v. Garcia (Buena Vista Police dept.)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: Unlawful detention, excessive force
BVPD officer sued for rights violations had previous allegation with Salida PD (The Chaffee County Times)
Jul 18, 2019
Buena Vista Police officer sued over domestic call (The Chaffee County Times)
BV policeman faces lawsuit for allegedly violating man’s rights (The Mountain Mail)
July 11, 2019
Estate of Justin Stieb v. Johnson, et al (Delta County Sheriff’s Dept.)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Outcome: Settled
Description: Deliberate indifference to inmate medical needs
Justin Stieb: Video Contradicts Official Version of Delta Jail Death (Westword)
August 8, 2017
Lawsuit: Inmate Denied Meds, Had 200 Seizures in Douglas County Jail (Westword)
October 10, 2017
Delta inmate found dead (Montrose)
August 18, 2014
Watlington v. Browne (Colorado Springs Police dept.)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: Excessive force
Colorado Springs cops looking for older white suspect set police dog on young black man, lawsuit say (The Denver Post)
December 13, 2017
Lawsuit accuses Colorado Springs K-9 officer of allowing police dog’s ‘unjustified’ attack (The Gazette)
December 13, 2017
Woodfork v. Wilson, et al (Adams County Police and Sheriff’s Dept.)
Practice Area: Constitutional Rights/Police Misconduct
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: First Amendment retaliation/excessive force
A Denver Area Man Gave A Cop The Finger, So The Cop Snapped It In Half, According To Lawsuit (Inquisitr)
December 16, 2017
Suburban Denver deputy snaps man’s middle finger after he flipped lawman off, lawsuit says (The Denver Post)
December 13, 2017
Lawsuit: Officer breaks finger of suspect who flipped him off (9News)
December 13, 2017
Lawsuit: Man’s finger broken for flipping Adams County deputy off (Denver Channel 7)
December 13, 2017
Lawsuit claims man’s middle finger broken after flipping off Adams County deputy (Denver Fox 31 News
December 13, 2017
Anthony Martinez v. Backer, et al (southern ute police dept.)
Practice Area: Police misconduct
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: Police shooting/excessive force
Trial underway for man shot by S. Ute police (The Durango Herald)
July 21, 2013
Valenzuela v. Coleman, et al (denver police dept.)
Practice Area: Police Misconduct
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: Wrongful arrest
Man arrested for forgery at DIA may sue officer involved, judge rules (Colorado Politics)
October 21, 2020
Prison guard suing DIA cops who concluded laundry-damaged driver’s license was fake, arrested him (The Denver Post)
February 14, 2018
Hinman v. Joyce (denver police dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Wrongful detention and wrongful prosecution
Denver Settles Gunman Case For $122,500 (CBS Denver Channel 4)
May 23, 2017
Denver settles gunman case for $122,500 (The Gazette)
May 23, 2017
Denver settles trumped-up hitman case for $122,500 (The Denver Post)
May 22, 2017
Randall v. Clark, et al. (denver police dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Wrongful arrest
Denver council asked to approve $47,000 payment to settle lawsuit against police officers (The Denver Post)
April 10, 2017
Denver will pay $47,500 to settle a case of mistaken identity for which three police officers were disciplined (Denverite)
April 10, 2017
Reilly v. Johnson, et al. (elbert county sheriff)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Wrongful arrest / Excessive force
Grandmother claims deputies jailed her for stealing own truck; alleges civil rights violations (Denver Channel 7)
November 2, 2016
Valverde v. Denver (police dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Ongoing
Description: Wrongful shooting / wrongful death
Joseph Valverde Killed by Cop While Trying to Surrender, Attorney Says (Westword)
August 9, 2016
Video: Denver Police named in excessive force lawsuit over deadly shooting (Denver Channel 7)
July 25, 2016
Family of man fatally shot during drug sting sues Denver (The Denver Post
July 26, 2016
Hoglund v. Denver (sheriff dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled after officers were disciplined.
Description: Excessive Force / Deprivation of Bodily Integrity
Lawsuit claims Denver Sheriff Department condoned hazing ritual (The Denver Post)
May 12, 2016
Montoya v. Newman, et al (huerfano county jail
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Indifference to Medical Necessity
County settles lawsuit for $200K (World Journal Huerfano)
August 6, 2015
Robinson v. City and County of Denver
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Mistaken Identity Arrest
Jailed 12 days, man proves his mistaken arrest by dropping pants in court; $88K settlement proposed (ABA Journal)
January 6, 2015
Denver set to settle another lawsuit over a mistaken arrest (The Denver Post
January 5, 2015
Lucero v. Putnam, et al. (Denver Police Dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Unlawful arrest, Excessive Force and First Amendment retaliation
Councilwoman Says Denver Can Live With Latest Settlement Involving Police Force (CBS Denver Channel 4)
May 3, 2015
Denver’s excessive force payouts twice as much as Baltimore’s (The Colorado Independent)
May 1, 2015
Denver to pay $50K to woman slammed into wall by cop (Colorado Public Radio)
March 3, 2015
Patricia Lucero Gets $50K After Being Bloodied by Cop Who Wasn’t Disciplined (Westword)
March 3, 2015
Denver to pay $50K to woman slammed into wall by cop (Albuquerque Journal)
March 3, 2015
Federal civil rights lawsuit filed against Denver Police officers (The Denver Post)
August 26, 2014
Woman Claims Excessive Force In Lawsuit Against Denver Police Officers (CBS Denver Channel 4)
August 27, 2014
Independent Police Monitor, Chief Disagree On Force Case (CBS Denver Channel 4)
March 13, 2014
Olive v. Schnurr, Douglas County
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Date: Feb 21, 2014
Outcome: Jury verdict, won
Description: A woman reported to police and the media that she had observed a father give his child margarita from a straw at a public restaurant in the Denver Metro Area. Police officers harassed and then arrested the man. A seven-member jury found that the accusations were false and that the man and his family were entitled to significant damages.
Denver police officer wins defamation lawsuit against woman who said he gave alcohol to toddler (Fox News 31 Denver)
Mar 7, 2014
Denver police officer, wife face charges after witness says they gave toddler sips of booze (The Denver Post)
August 30, 2011
Scarlet Ranch v. Steele, et al. (denver police dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Excessive Force and Destruction of Evidence
Sex Club Files Suit Against DPD (CBS Denver Channel 4)
September 29, 2011
Lawsuit Threatened Over Taped DPD Takedown (CBS Denver Channel 4)
February 8, 2011
Lunn v. Sellers, et al. (denver police dept.)
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Excessive Force, First Amendment Retaliation
Police brutality: Independent monitor says choke holding Denver cop deserved to be fired (Westword)
May 6, 2011
Denver to pay $80,000 to settle 2 police excessive-force lawsuit (The Denver Post)
June 14, 2011
Hudson v. Marks, et al.
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled
Description: Excessive Force, Malicious Prosecution
Heaney v. Cordova, et al.
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled while on appeal
Description: Excessive Force, Conspiracy, Malicious Prosecution
Federal jury sides with Denver cops in Rockies opening day arrest brutality case (Denver Post)
May 2, 2012
Did One Denver Police Officer Go Too Far? (5280)
September 18, 2009
Bicyclist sues Denver police over alleged beating (Denver Post)
April 6, 2009
Police consultant: ‘No justification for head slam’ (9News)
August 12, 2008
Videotape shows man beaten by Denver Police (9News)
August 12, 2008
DA drops case against man in clash with cops (Denver Post)
August 11, 2008
Doty v. Jasper, et al.
Practice Area: Civil Rights
Outcome: Settled while on appeal
Description: Deliberate Indifference to Medical Necessity
