Civil Rights and liberties

Protecting Civil Liberties during National Protests

When protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism reignited in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, many participants were wrongfully arrested for disorderly conduct. One such arrestee was Keith Boykin, a journalist who was covering a protest in New York City.

While riding a bicycle and photographing the peaceful protest, Keith was arrested for “walking on the highway” and “disorderly conduct–blocking vehicular traffic.” The police detained him for approximately six hours, including four hours in a jail cell. There were about 35 other people in his cell, making social distancing during the pandemic impossible. Keith was eventually released and issued summonses to appear in court several months later for both charges.

Through extensive negotiations with city officials, a team of Lowenstein lawyers proved that Keith did not exhibit any disorderly behavior, and all charges against him were dropped.