Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s civil rights lawyers take great pride in working tirelessly for people whose constitutional rights have been violated. Victims of police misconduct and government wrongdoing place their trust in JGL’s battle-tested courtroom advocates, who have spent decades fearlessly standing up to powerful government entities and fighting for justice for their clients.
Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s civil rights attorneys have been nationally recognized for their groundbreaking work on behalf of victims of government abuse. In 2011, the Maryland Association for Justice named Cary Hansel, Timothy Maloney, Veronica Nannis and Steven Vinick as its Trial Lawyers of the Year for their work on behalf of the family of an innocent man beaten, shot, and killed by a Prince George’s County police officer. JGL’s team obtained an $11.5 million verdict for the family at trial and exposed a severe abuse of authority by an off-duty police officer who was moonlighting as a private security guard.
JGL’s civil rights lawyers were also lauded in national media outlets for their representation of a Maryland resident who was falsely accused of murdering his wife. DNA evidence later cleared the man of any wrongdoing. JGL’s team obtained a $6.375 million verdict for their client and shone a spotlight on abusive interrogation tactics being employed by Prince George’s county police to obtain coerced confessions. The Washington Post called the verdict “the largest made by a jury in a civil case involving abuse by Prince George's County police.” The case ultimately led the Maryland House of Delegates to pass legislation recommending the videotaping of police interrogations to protect accused citizens.
Not only do JGL’s civil rights attorneys have a track record of going to trial and getting results, but their innovative legal strategies have also established important legal principles that protect citizens from civil rights violations, including litigating the first case to establish that citizens can hold a municipality liable for engaging in a “pattern and practice” of constitutional violations under the Maryland constitution. JGL’s work has also drawn national media attention to the issue of inadequate training of law enforcement officers relating to their use of force and animal control.
JGL’s civil rights attorneys have extensive in experience representing citizens in cases involving a wide variety of police misconduct, including false arrest, illegal interrogations, excessive force, police brutality, illegal searches, and wrongful convictions. People who have suffered violations of their civil liberties at the hands of powerful government actors need powerful advocates on their side. Joseph, Greenwald & Laake’s attorneys are experienced and proven warriors for their clients’ rights.
