{"id":2573,"date":"2023-09-27T19:00:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/?p=2573"},"modified":"2024-09-10T20:46:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T20:46:57","slug":"warriors-for-civil-rights-underline-alumni-tackle-police-and-prison-brutality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/warriors-for-civil-rights-underline-alumni-tackle-police-and-prison-brutality\/","title":{"rendered":"WARRIORS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS: Alumni tackle police and prison brutality"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

By Adam Stone<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

In January 2020, a <\/span>Prince George\u2019s County police officer shot and killed <\/span>William Green. At the time, Green\u2019s hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was sitting in the front seat of a parked police cruiser.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\"
Malcolm Ruff, J.D. \u201912<\/figcaption><\/figure>

As part of the legal team representing Green\u2019s family, <\/span>Malcolm Ruff, J.D. \u201912<\/span><\/b>, helped win a $20 million settlement for the victim\u2019s mother and two adult children. Ruff says his UBalt Law education \u201cwas a foundation that really set me on the path towards fighting for justice and standing in the gap for folks who had been violated by the government.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

He\u2019s one of several UBalt Law alumni who are focused on police brutality and detention-center abuse cases.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Kristen Mack, J.D. \u201917<\/span><\/b>, tackles such cases as an <\/span>associate attorney at Hansel Law, PC. <\/span>The firm represented Daquan Wallace, a 19-year-old who was beaten and left paraplegic while in pre-trial detention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\"
Kristen Mack, J.D. \u201917<\/figcaption><\/figure>

As Mack and others have learned, it\u2019s incredibly difficult to hold police and prison officials accountable for mistakes and abuses. \u201cThere are a lot of immunities and laws that are designed to protect the state from liability,\u201d she says. That includes various caps on damages.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou need someone that is extremely knowledgeable of this subject matter so that you can get around these caps, because \u2014 let’s be serious \u2014 the only way that we’re going to change things is if we make them pay enough money,\u201d says Mack.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Since entering the field, Mack has worked hard to master the nuances. \u201cEvery case is very different, and the details matter tremendously in what we do,\u201d she says. \u201cI learn the most when I’m having to oppose motions — motions for summary judgment in particular, because it forces me to sit down and go head-to-head with these issues.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"\"
Larry Greenberg, J.D. \u201994<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Larry Greenberg, J.D. \u201994<\/span><\/b>, says a detailed understanding of the law helps him to represent those who are \u201cconsistently being targeted and then abused by the system.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The wheels of such justice turn slow: Greenberg spent close to five years trying to win compensation for the family of a man who was run over and killed by a police officer who simply wasn\u2019t paying attention to the road.<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThere are <\/span>immunities that apply. If an officer is driving his or her vehicle and they’re in the course of their employment, one immunity applies. If they’re driving and they’re in the course of duty, but they\u2019re not in an emergency situation, another immunity applies,\u201d he says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In cases like these, \u201call of the hoops you have to jump through to potentially get justice exist to benefit the <\/span>state<\/span><\/i>, not the injured,\u201d says Greenberg. With the odds stacked in favor of law enforcement, \u201cyou have to know how to avoid the pitfalls and land mines that go with civil rights cases.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Lawyers in this field have to keep current. \u201cI always read the new cases that come out, and I don’t limit it just to Maryland. I’m looking at federal courts, I’m looking at the Supreme Court,\u201d he says. At the same time, he works to help shape the legal landscape in favor of plaintiffs. \u201cWe’re in Annapolis frequently,\u201d Greenberg says, \u201cworking with the legislators to try to make rules that help the citizens, not just the state.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Such efforts helped lead to adoption of the Maryland Police Accountability Act, a 2021 law requiring all counties to create three police oversight boards: a Police Accountability Board, an Administrative Charging Committee, and a Trial Board.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI believe the police play an important part of our system. However, I believe those officers should be well trained,\u201d he says. \u201cBad hiring, bad training, failure to discipline \u2014 all of these things come about, and that’s why people get hurt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Shifting landscape<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Like others, Greenberg has seen public opinion start to shift in the wake of the George Floyd murder and Black Lives Matter protests. But he worries that the relatively recent uptick in awareness will prove temporary. \u201cAs a society, we are reactive,\u201d he says. \u201cIt gets into our discussion for a news cycle \u2026 and then it’s gone. The news cycle comes and goes.\u201d<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>

\"\"
Allen Honick, J.D. \u201916<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Allen Honick, J.D. \u201916<\/span><\/b>, says that while increased public awareness has helped, deep institutional changes are needed, and those take time. \u201cThere has been progress, one foot in front of the other, but it is very slow,\u201d he says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Many of Honick\u2019s cases involve matters like wrongful arrest, wrongful incarceration, prison guard misconduct, and related civil right claims. How to win such cases? Stubbornness helps a lot.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou have to be resolved that you’re not going to get dissuaded by the procedural requirements, the onerous preconditions to suit, the obfuscation and the stonewalling,\u201d Honick says. \u201cYou just have to resolve ahead of time that you’re going to put your head down and see this thing through.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

On the plus side, says Ruff, everyone these days has a camera \u2014 not just policy body cams, but the cellphones that take every event immediately to social media.<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat is changing the paradigm of how people view accountability for law enforcement,\u201d he says. \u201cFor years, officers were able to create what we call silent narratives: They can spin a situation, because they get the benefit of the doubt. That was being abused to a very high degree.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the era of social media, that\u2019s changing. \u201cWe recently handled a matter against the Baltimore County Police Department, where our client was accused of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest,\u201d Ruff says. The officer claimed justification for violence, \u201cand the video just simply did not show what he said.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Real-time documentation by itself won\u2019t fix the accountability gap. But it\u2019s one step toward rectifying a system that these lawyers say has for too long been tilted in favor of institutions, rather than individuals.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Adam Stone<\/strong> is a writer based in Annapolis.
<\/em><\/p>\n

Photos by Maximilian Franz.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Share this story with your network:<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on twitter<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on linkedin<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on email<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam Stone In January 2020, a Prince George\u2019s County police officer shot and killed William Green. At the time, Green\u2019s hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was sitting in the front seat of a parked police cruiser.\u00a0 As part of the legal team representing Green\u2019s family, Malcolm Ruff, J.D. \u201912, helped win […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3596,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3596"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2573"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3466,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2573\/revisions\/3466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubalt.edu\/lawmag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}