Wrongful Imprisonment

Obie Anthony v. City of Los Angeles, et al. CV 12-1332-CMB (C.D. Cal.)- Representing plaintiff who was wrongfully convicted for 17 years.  MBL represented Mr. Anthony for two and one half years in his struggle to achieve justice.  The case settled for $8.3 million.

Coley  v. City of Simi Valley (2019) –represented Craig Coley, along with co-counsel, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for approximately 39 years. After Mr. Coley’s DNA demonstrated that he was not present during the double murder he was accused of committing, counsel demonstrated his conviction was a result of the police planting of evidence and the manipulation of multiple witnesses to give false testimony. As a result, Mr. Coley first received the largest recovery from the California Victim’s Compensation Board under Penal Code §4900 for being an innocent man wrongful imprisoned for an amount of $1,958,740. Then, after engaging in extensive negotiation with the City of Simi Valley, Mr. Coley received a $21 million settlement for his wrongful imprisonment. The settlement is to the largest individual wrongful imprisonment pre-filing settlement in U.S. history.

In re Deshawn Reed (2018) – won petition for factual innocence and statutory exoneree compensation for client who was wrongfully incarcerated for six years for a double-homicide of which he was innocent. Demonstrated that there was no reliable evidence supporting Mr. Reed’s conviction and substantial evidence that another person was responsible for the murders.

Francisco Carrillo, Jr. v. County of Los Angeles, CV 11-10310-SVW(AGRx) – Lead counsel representing plaintiff who was wrongfully imprisoned after 20 years in prison from the age of 16. Five years of litigation uncovered the unconstitutional conduct of the lead defendant, a Sheriff’s deputy and  a member of the internal law-enforcement gang the “Lynwood Vikings,” who manipulated of a 15 year old witness to select plaintiff as the shooter in a 1991 drive-by shooting. Plaintiff’s legal team demonstrated the corrupt police practices of the deputy and those within his unit which resulted in the misrepresentation of evidence to District Attorney, the court and the jury.  The case settled for $10.1 million.

O’Connell v. County of Los Angeles (2017) – represented Frank O’Connell who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 27 years as a result of hidden, exculpatory evidence and fabricated information in police reports. The concealed evidence revealed serious deficiencies in eyewitness identification testimony as well as viable alternate suspects. The firm secured a $15 million settlement for Mr. O’Connell, and his son, who was four years old when his father was arrested. The settlement amounts to $555,500 per year, the largest per year award for wrongful conviction in California history.

Thomas Lee Goldstein v. City of Long Beach and County of Los Angeles, et al. CV 04-9692-AHM(Ex) (C.D. Cal.)– Representing plaintiff who was wrongfully imprisoned for 24 years. Six years of litigation reflecting failure to disclose exculpatory evidence by detectives and the failure to create a system to disseminate exculpatory evidence by the prosecution. Case required two appearances before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, one before the U.S. Supreme Court and one before the California Supreme Court. Case settled $7.95 million with City of Long Beach and $900,000 with the County of Los Angeles.

Bruce Lisker v. City of Los Angeles, Case No CV 09-9374 AHM (AJW) (C.D. Cal.) Civil rights cases for police fabrication of evidence and failure to turn over exculpatory information, resulting in murder conviction; plaintiff spent 26 years in prison before his habeas petition was granted.

“These cases do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.”