Sculpture by Olalekan Jeyifous.
Photo by Laura Hatcher Photography
Standing up for Protesters
The firm is standing up for individuals who were wrongly arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights during peaceful protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism.
◆◆◆
As described in last year’s Pro Bono Report, the firm represents Keith Boykin, a journalist whom the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested during a protest following the murder of George Floyd. Keith was riding a bicycle and photographing the peaceful protest when police officers handcuffed, arrested, and detained him for hours in a city jail. The city charged Keith with “walking on the highway” and “disorderly conduct– blocking vehicular traffic.” During negotiations with the city, the firm proved that Keith did not exhibit any disorderly behavior, and the city withdrew the charges. The firm now represents Keith in a lawsuit against the city and the NYPD for violating his civil rights.
◆◆◆
Along with co-counsel ACLU-NJ, the firm also represents two Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists in their case for wrongful arrest and suppression of free speech filed against the city of Paterson and the Paterson Police Department. Paterson police officers arrested our clients in January 2019 while they were protesting the suspicious death of a young man who died in transit to a medical facility after visiting the Paterson Police Department for assistance. Our clients spoke at City Hall during those protests. Police officers then arrested them, without warning, while they marched with others after the rally. The officers held the protestors overnight and charged them with rarely used municipal offenses: “obstructing highways and other public passages” and “interference with transportation.” The municipal court dismissed the charges after a trial.
In their civil lawsuit, the BLM activists seek compensation for the deprivation of their constitutional rights as well as the deterrent effect the police department’s actions had on other peaceful BLM protests.
Both civil rights suits remain pending.
The firm is standing up for individuals who were wrongly arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights during peaceful protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism.
