May 2018 E-Newsletter

Civil Rights and Personal Injury and General Practice Law Firm, Dedicated to Social Justice

The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a well-respected litigation firm with an office in Hempstead, Long Island. Our focus is primarily in the area of civil rights, voting rights, employment discrimination, police misconduct, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and criminal law. However, the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a full- service law firm handling matters in numerous areas of law and providing a wide range of services from contract formation to litigation and trial practice.

RECENT VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
$7.75 million- Civil Rights and wrongful death action brought by the family of deceased

$4.7 million- Repeated verbal and physical assaults on Yemeni-American employee, while supervisor failed to protect employee and discipline the assailant

$1.277 million- Race based attack and serious injury by violent acts against Plaintiffs, who were lured to an isolated warehouse

$2.8 million- Wrongful death, products liability case involving a tow motor accident at a sewage treatment plant

AT THE FIRM

African-American Retired Corrections Officer Assaulted and Falsely Arrested at Supermarket Reaches Settlement with Garden City Village Police Department

A Federal Rule of Civil Procedure, Rule 68, Offer of Judgment was recently made by the Village of Garden City, agreeing to settle the case between retired Nassau County Correction Officer Ronald Lanier, who is African-American, and the Village of Garden City Police Department. The Offer of Judgment was related to an incident in which Mr. Lanier charged the Garden City Police Department for false arrest, racial discrimination, and abuse on the part of their officers.

On November 30, 2016, Mr. Lanier was shopping, just two blocks from his home, at the Best Western supermarket in Mineola when he was verbally abused, wrongfully accused and physically assaulted by two Garden City Village police officers, George Byrd and John Russell. Despite the fact that he explained to the officers that he did nothing wrong and was a retired law enforcement officer, Mr. Lanier was cursed at, punched, aggressively handled, thrown to the ground, and verbally and physically abused. He was handcuffed and paraded through the store for all the patrons and neighbors to see. He was then placed in the rear of a Garden City police car, where he was taunted and again verbally abused.

After being held against his will, Mr. Lanier was released after police realized they had arrested the wrong Black man. The officers let Mr. Lanier go without even offering an apology. When he was given the opportunity to finally show them his badge and credentials, Mr. Lanier was neither extended the same courtesy as any other officer would receive, nor was he treated with respect or any sense of dignity. This rule allowing for an Offer of Judgment states that “a party defending against a claim may serve on an opposing party an offer to allow judgment on specified terms, with the costs then accrued.” As a result, Garden City Police will pay Mr. Lanier for his damages and injuries, as well as his attorney’s fees and costs. Frederick K. Brewington and Tricia S. Lindsay from the firm handled this case on behalf of Mr. Lanier.

556 Peninsula Blvd., Hempstead, New York 11550 | Phone: 516-489-6959 | Fax: 516-489-6958

Attorney Advertising
DISCLAIMER: THIS NEWSLETTER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS
LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY MATTER. LEGAL COUNSEL SHOULD BE CONSULTED FOR ADVICE REGARDING ANY MATTER.

COPYRIGHT © 2018 BY LAW OFFICES OF FREDERICK K. BREWINGTON