Posted on September 26, 2013 in Negligence
According to reports, Jeremy Lawson, 19, of Alexander, AR was killed yesterday when a garbage truck failed to yield at an intersection. Lawson was reportedly driving a motorcycle on state highway 412 when a garbage truck turned in front of him causing Lawson and his passenger to collide with the truck. By law, traffic entering… read more…
Posted on September 18, 2013 in Civil Rights
A Tulsa jury has rejected allegations of police misconduct against two Tulsa police officers and concluded that they did not violate the civil rights of a motorist who was stopped and allegedly forced to do push-ups. According to Brian Lumpkin, Tulsa police officers James Bohanon and Kevin Warne stopped his car, placed him in handcuffs,… read more…
Posted on September 13, 2013 in Civil Rights,Excessive Force
The City of Shawnee, Oklahoma and police officer Casey Vague have reached a settlement in a federal civil rights case involving the excessive use of a Taser. In the lawsuit, Willard Jackson claimed that Vague used excessive force during an arrest in August 2011. According to Jackson, an African American, Vague arrived at an apartment… read more…
Posted on September 12, 2013 in Civil Rights
The Tulsa World is reporting that the City of Tulsa is now denying requests for audio recordings of 911 calls. According to the World, Despite having released at least seven 911 recordings since 2010, the city recently denied a Tulsa World request for recordings of two calls made to Tulsa police following a state trooper-involved… read more…
Posted on September 5, 2013 in Civil Rights
Did Tulsa city attorney David O’Meilia and City councilor David Patrick violate the First Amendment when they prevented Mike Workman from speaking during last Thursday’s city council meeting? An editorial in today’s Tulsa World describes what happened: Mike Workman, a regular at council meetings and an announced candidate for state labor commissioner, had asked to… read more…
Posted on September 4, 2013 in Criminal Law
The short answer is yes. A frequent misconception is that refusing to take a breathalyzer will prevent the police or law enforcement from arresting you for DUI, or alternatively, prevent the district attorney’s office from charging you with a DUI. Not only can the police arrest you without results from a breathalyzer, refusing the test… read more…
Posted on September 3, 2013 in Discrimination
The City of Tulsa has settled a pregnancy discrimination case filed by a former employee in the public works department. In 2011, the City of Tulsa hired Qamar Herd three weeks before her scheduled delivery, but when Herd requested four days of maternity leave, the City denied her request and terminated her employment for failing… read more…
Posted on July 3, 2013 in Negligence
Would you accept $29.96 per day for 16 years behind bars for wrongful incarceration? You have no choice because state law says that is what your time, suffering and loss is worth. If you have questions about governmental immunity, the damage caps or the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claim Act, contact your local Tulsa personal injury… read more…
Posted on July 1, 2013 in Civil Rights
When the Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed its decision in Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority, 2013 OK 9, it removed a significant legal barrier that prevented Oklahomans from holding county government accountable when its jailers used excessive force on innocent people. For more information on the decision, see our previous post here. But why… read more…
Posted on June 28, 2013 in Civil Rights
Victims of excessive force within Oklahoma jails can now seek relief in the state courts throughout Oklahoma. On Thursday June 27, 2013, the Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed its decision in Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority, 2013 OK 9. The Court initially issued the opinion in February, but the Defendant and numerous other governmental… read more…