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Case Results

We know how to fight for you.

We have been fighting for our clients’ civil rights since 1985, within our home state of California and nationwide. Our significant victories include the historic ‘Oakland Riders’ police misconduct case. The lawyers of BNCL won $10.9 million for our clients and forced the Oakland PD to commit to meaningful reforms of their racist and abusive policing practices. We’ve also won significant settlements in class-action suits against employers, such as $8.2 million for UPS workers denied promotion opportunities due to racial discrimination. Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy has also successfully represented countless individuals and families in lawsuits against the police for false arrests, misconduct, unreasonable use of force, and wrongful deaths.

Notable Cases

Reginald Oliver v. City of Oakland

Oakland Police keep fabricating evidence and lying about minorities to arrest and prosecute them for supposed “gang” crimes, in violation of a settlement that prohibits …

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Named plaintiff Reginald Oliver claims the Oakland PD continues violating the Constitution, in defiance of the settlement in Delphine Allen e al. v. City of Oakland, USDC No. C-00-4599 TEH, also known as "The Riders" litigation. Read Full Course
John Burris
Jane Smith v. City of Oakland

Racial profiling of Asian women by police officer resulting in a class action complaint for damages, declaratory and injunctive relief

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Finding evidence about defendant's post-conviction parole violation unfairly prejudicial "since the jury could have construed that parole violation as character evidence in violation of Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b)" Read Full Course
Rodney King
Rodney King v. City of Los Angeles

Rodney King has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to have Judge John G. Davies disqualified from presiding at the trial of …

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Rodney King waited too long to file a malpractice suit against the first of 27 lawyers who represented him in connection with the infamous beating he suffered from Los Angeles police in 1991, this district’s Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The ruling by Div. Two affirmed Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann Kough’s grant of summary judgment to Steven Lerman. King earlier this year dismissed his appeal of Kough’s ruling in favor of two other lawyers sued in the case, Federico Sayre and John Burris. Read Full Course
Oscar Grant v. BART

Oakland police accused of shooting cousin of Oscar Grant. A man shot and wounded by an Oakland police officer last weekend was a cousin of …

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Grant’s death after being shot by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Joseph Mehserle on New Year’s Day in 2009 has since become a rallying point for anti-police demonstrations in Oakland. Read Full Course
Hernandez v. City of Sacramento $5.2 million

Sacramento pays $5.2 million in lawsuit claiming cops beat, tased man into coma.

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The City Council voted in a closed-door session to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the family of John Hernandez. Read Full Course
Banks-Reed v. Mateu (BART)

BART police body camera video shows the Jan. 3, 2018 shooting death of Sahleem Tindle by BART police officer Joseph Mateu.

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The video evidence was among the topics discussed during the first face-to-face meeting between Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’ Malley and Tindle’s mother Yolanda Banks-Reed. Read Full Course
Hung Lam v. City Of San Jose $11.3 Million

We won an $11.3 million jury verdict for a plaintiff who was shot in the back by a police officer and rendered paraplegic during a …

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We won an $11.3 million jury verdict for a plaintiff who was shot in the back by a police officer and rendered paraplegic during a response to a 911 call. Read Full Course

More Results

Reginald Oliver v. City of Oakland

Oakland Police keep fabricating evidence and lying about minorities to arrest and prosecute them for supposed “gang” crimes, in violation of a settlement that prohibits …

Read More
Named plaintiff Reginald Oliver claims the Oakland PD continues violating the Constitution, in defiance of the settlement in Delphine Allen e al. v. City of Oakland, USDC No. C-00-4599 TEH, also known as "The Riders" litigation. Read Full Course
John Burris
Jane Smith v. City of Oakland

Racial profiling of Asian women by police officer resulting in a class action complaint for damages, declaratory and injunctive relief

Read More
Finding evidence about defendant's post-conviction parole violation unfairly prejudicial "since the jury could have construed that parole violation as character evidence in violation of Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b)" Read Full Course
Rodney King
Rodney King v. City of Los Angeles

Rodney King has filed a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to have Judge John G. Davies disqualified from presiding at the trial of …

Read More
Rodney King waited too long to file a malpractice suit against the first of 27 lawyers who represented him in connection with the infamous beating he suffered from Los Angeles police in 1991, this district’s Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The ruling by Div. Two affirmed Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann Kough’s grant of summary judgment to Steven Lerman. King earlier this year dismissed his appeal of Kough’s ruling in favor of two other lawyers sued in the case, Federico Sayre and John Burris. Read Full Course
Oscar Grant v. BART

Oakland police accused of shooting cousin of Oscar Grant. A man shot and wounded by an Oakland police officer last weekend was a cousin of …

Read More
Grant’s death after being shot by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer Joseph Mehserle on New Year’s Day in 2009 has since become a rallying point for anti-police demonstrations in Oakland. Read Full Course
Hernandez v. City of Sacramento $5.2 million

Sacramento pays $5.2 million in lawsuit claiming cops beat, tased man into coma.

Read More
The City Council voted in a closed-door session to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by the family of John Hernandez. Read Full Course
Banks-Reed v. Mateu (BART)

BART police body camera video shows the Jan. 3, 2018 shooting death of Sahleem Tindle by BART police officer Joseph Mateu.

Read More
The video evidence was among the topics discussed during the first face-to-face meeting between Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’ Malley and Tindle’s mother Yolanda Banks-Reed. Read Full Course
John L. Burris
Martin v. City of San Jose

Civil Rights Attorney Ben Nisenbaum Wins $6 Million Jury Verdict Against The City Of San Jose For A SJPD Officer Who Lied About Using His …

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A Federal Jury in Oakland returned a $6 million verdict in favor of 35-year-old Andy Martin against the City of San Jose and San Jose Police Alexandre Vieira-Ribeiro for injuries sustained on May 2, 2018, when Defendant Ribeiro, in pursuing Mr. Martin, ran him over with patrol SUV and then reversed over his ankle. Read Full Course
Abuslin v. City of Oakland $989,000

We won a $989,000 settlement for an underage victim of sexual exploitation by Bay Area law enforcement officers including Oakland Police officers.

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BNCL won a $989,000 settlement for an underage victim of sexual exploitation by Bay Area law enforcement officers including Oakland Police officers. Read Full Course
Sheehan v. San Francisco $1 Million

In a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, we won a $1 million settlement in an ADA violation involving police misconduct.

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In a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, we won a $1 million settlement in an ADA violation involving police misconduct. Read Full Course
Hung Lam v. City Of San Jose $11.3 Million

We won an $11.3 million jury verdict for a plaintiff who was shot in the back by a police officer and rendered paraplegic during a …

Read More
We won an $11.3 million jury verdict for a plaintiff who was shot in the back by a police officer and rendered paraplegic during a response to a 911 call. Read Full Course
Marlene M. Pinnock v. John Doe et al $1.5 Million

A $1.5 million settlement for a plaintiff repeatedly punched by a California Highway Patrol officer in an incident caught on video.

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A $1.5 million settlement for a plaintiff repeatedly punched by a California Highway Patrol officer in an incident caught on video. Read Full Course
John L. Burris
Torry Smith et al. v. City of Oakland $6 Million

Attorney Ben Nisenbaum won a $6 million jury award in a case involving false arrest and evidence planting, when Oakland police officers illegally entered Plaintiff …

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BNCL won a $6 million jury award in a police misconduct case involving evidence planting. Read Full Course
Duenez et al. v. City of Manteca $2.2 Million

A $2.2 million settlement for the family of an unarmed man shot and killed by a police officer as he was getting out of a …

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A $2.2 million settlement for the family of an unarmed man shot and killed by a police officer as he was getting out of a pickup truck. Read Full Course
Delphine Allen, et al. v. City of Oakland (“Riders”) $10.9 Million

The well-known class-action suit against the ‘Oakland Riders’ police officers for false arrests, excessive force, and racial discrimination. In addition to the $10.9 million settlement, …

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The well-known class-action suit against the ‘Oakland Riders’ police officers for false arrests, excessive force, and racial discrimination. In addition to the $10.9 million settlement, we forced the Oakland PD to commit to reforming their approach to policing. Read Full Course
FEATURED News & Updates

Civil rights lawyer John Burris confronts police narratives

Written by Janie Har, AP researcher Rhonda Shafner also contributed to this report. To read on AP News click here OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Before …

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