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As of January 1, 2022, for the first time in California history, people will be able to bring claims under California law against police and custodial officers for malicious prosecution or for injuries to prisoners. Changes to the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act (Civ. Code, § 52.1) will remove immunities…

Attorneys Michael Haddad and Julia Sherwin joined forces in 1998 when they launched their firm in Oakland, CA. Married and in business for 23 years, their practice is focused on representing plaintiffs in cases involving police and jail misconduct and wrongful death. Read the full article from Super Lawyer to…

KTVU Fox 2 / Lisa Fernandez SAN QUENTIN, Calif. – The family of a prison officer filed a civil rights lawsuit on Tuesday saying their loved one suffered a wrongful death because of the dangerous conditions at San Quentin caused by the correctional system’s “intentional and deliberately indifferent” decisions regarding…

OAKLAND, CA (August 24, 2021) — Civil rights law firm Haddad & Sherwin LLP announced today that it has filed a federal court lawsuit against high level administrators of the State of California and the CDCR for the COVID-19 death of San Quentin Sergeant Gilbert Polanco stemming from the botched…

Qualified immunity protects police officers from lawsuits, making it nearly impossible for individual citizens to sue public officials unless they can prove they violated a “clearly established law”. That’s where the lines begin to blur. Reform or abolishing qualified immunity must happen to hold police accountable for their actions when…

On May 6, 2021, CNN reported on the ongoing investigation into the death of Mario Gonzalez, a 26 year-old Oakland California man who was restrained by Alameda Police Officers prior to his death on April 19, 2021. In this video clip, CNN anchor Don Lemon interviews Julia Sherwin, the California…