Despite constitutional guarantees, Americans’ civil rights and liberties are constantly in danger of violation, whether by individuals, corporations or government institutions.
Regardless of whether personal prejudices or national security concerns lie at the root of these violations. Challenging them – and holding wrongdoers accountable – is imperative for the sake of constitutional integrity and the preservation of The American Way.
Trial Lawyers advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person’s right to know. They believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend ourselves, our families, our health, and our way of life.
Often times we don’t think about or worry about or understand what is happening to another…. until it happens to us.
Deceits have no boundaries. Disease doesn’t recognize the color of our skin or our political party’s affiliation.
When it comes to cover-ups and false allegations by Agencies of the State and the Federal Government, there is not a soul amongst us who does not have a cringing fear of their Overwhelming Awesome power.
It is at these times that we need experienced and dedicated Trial Lawyers…. the Warriors in the Courtroom … who are willing to battle for us “tooth and nail” in the Halls of Justice…. To protect our cherished way of life”
From coast to coast, mentally ill people… without reliable access to the costly on-demand care they need…. are left to fend for themselves. In the aftermath of the movement in the 1970s to close large mental asylums… many of today’s mentally ill are left to their own devices. They are often homeless and without full-time advocates.
With government unable or unwilling to properly serve this population… the criminal-justice system is left to pick up the slack.
Contrary to what many assume… the mentally ill are most often the victimized… not the victimizers. A 2005 study by researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University found that persons with serious mental illnesses are 11 times more likely than the general population to be victims of violent crime, with perhaps as many as 1 million crimes committed against those with serious mental-health issues each year.
But relying on the police to address the problem has too often resulted in tragedy…. not only on the mean streets of big cities… But also in upscale, very affluent, ultra-modern, high-tech communities, like Playa Vista, California also known as Silicon Beach.
At approximately 3:23 a.m. on January 14, 2011, 25-year-old Reginald Doucet Jr. was shot and killed by LAPD Police Officer Aaron Goff at a condominium complex in Playa Vista, California.
Reginald Doucet Jr was suffering a mental breakdown and the police officer was not trained sufficiently to deal with it, so he shot and killed him. If this had been treated as someone that was suffering from a mental illness, we would never have gotten to the point where he would have been killed.”
In this Insider Exclusive, “Justice in America, Network TV Special, our news team visits with Brian Dunn, Managing Partner, at the Cochran Firm in Los Angeles, Calif to examine how Brian successfully represented the family of Reginald Doucet Jr to get justice.
Over his 23-year career, Brian has resolved over 200 cases in state and federal court, and the majority of these cases involved police shootings that all too often lead to the death of the victim. No other attorney has better expertise in handling matters of police shootings, and no other attorney is better equipped to help a jury understand the responsibilities of police officers, departments, and the law, as it relates to a police officer’s use of deadly force.
Having spent his entire career with The Cochran Firm, he has handled many of the Firm’s highest profile police misconduct cases, including those involving Geronimo Pratt, Reginald Denny, Devin Brown, Tyisha Miller.
Brian understands that Police brutality is one of the most serious, enduring, and divisive human rights violations in the United States. The problem is not just in Los Angeles…BUT nationwide….AND its nature is institutionalized.
And because of that, He is driven to fight for people who had been harmed by the willful or negligent actions of others.
Brian Dunn and Megan Gyongyos, can be reached at the Cochran Law Firm, http://cochranfirmlaw.com/ or 323-435-8205.