- Nationally renowned business litigation and trial firm Reid
Collins & Tsai LLP leads pro bono prosecution of civil
rights case alongside the ACLU of Louisiana.
- Verdict is first jury trial victory for the ACLU of
Louisiana's Justice Lab initiative challenging racially
discriminatory policing practices.
- Jury finds St. Tammany
Parish Sheriff's Office deputy liable for intentional
infliction of emotional distress upon 14-year-old who attempted to
record the violent arrest of his mother.
NEW
ORLEANS, May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This week,
national trial firm Reid Collins & Tsai LLP ("Reid Collins")
obtained a jury verdict on behalf of client Mr. De'Shaun Johnson in
its prosecution of his federal civil rights case in Louisiana. Johnson is the son of Teliah Perkins, who was violently arrested at
her own home in Slidell, Louisiana
in May 2020 in response to a minor
traffic violation she did not commit. Reid Collins is representing
Mr. Johnson and Ms. Perkins pro bono in partnership with the
ACLU of Louisiana's Justice Lab.
On Wednesday, the Eastern District of Louisiana jury, composed of citizens of the
greater New Orleans area, awarded
Johnson $185,000 for the intentional
infliction of emotional distress by St.
Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputy Ryan Moring as Mr. Johnson tried to film the
violent and unnecessary arrest of his mother.
On May 5, 2020, officers
Kyle Hart and Moring arrested Ms.
Perkins while her son and nephew watched and tried to record on
their phones. Hart and Moring tackled Ms. Perkins to the ground and
held their body weight on her as she told officers "You're choking
me!" As Mr. Johnson started to record the incident on his phone,
Deputy Moring stepped in front of him to prevent him from capturing
the incident. Moring pushed Mr. Johnson (14 years old at the time)
in the chest and aimed his Taser directly at him. When Mr. Johnson
objected "You can't Tase a child," Deputy Moring responded: "Watch
me."
Since the incident, Mr. Johnson was diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder and received treatment as a
result.
"We are proud to represent De'Shaun and to have worked with the
ACLU of Louisiana's Justice Lab on this important matter," said
Keith Cohan, Reid Collins & Tsai
LLP partner. "There should be accountability for law enforcement
officers who seek to intimidate those observing them in the line of
duty. With this victory, that's exactly what happened today."
"We are thrilled to see justice served for De'Shaun," said
Nora Ahmed, ACLU of Louisiana legal director. "As we face imminent
threats to our rights to record police in Louisiana, the Justice Lab—and our pro
bono partners and colleagues like the Reid Collins & Tsai
LLP team with whom we prosecuted this case—will continue to fight
for brave individuals like Ms. Perkins and her son and fight for a
world of justice and safety for all people."
Perkins v. Hart marks the first jury
trial-to-verdict victory for the ACLU of Louisiana's Justice
Lab initiative (https://aclujusticelab.org/). Reid Collins
is proud to be a part of the Justice Lab's litigation campaign to
challenge racially discriminatory policing practices and combat
police violence against people of color.
The case is captioned Teliah C.
Perkins et al. v. Kyle Hart
et al., U.S.D.C. Eastern District of Louisiana, Civil Action No. 2:21-CV-00879.
About Reid Collins
Reid Collins & Tsai LLP is one of the nation's leading
plaintiffs' trial firms, litigating complex business disputes and
achieving billions of dollars in settlements and judgments for its
clients. Its team is comprised of accomplished trial lawyers who
have extensive experience prosecuting financial fraud,
corporate wrongdoing, bankruptcy and insolvency related litigation,
employment and partnership disputes, professional liability claims,
and cross-border disputes. The firm represents fund managers,
investor groups, trustees, receivers, liquidators, international
banks, companies, governmental entities, and individuals in federal
and state courts across the country.
For more information visit www.reidcollins.com
Austin | Dallas | New
York | Washington D.C. | Wilmington
Contact:
Alexander
Coxe
212.365.4792
acoxe@reidcollins.com
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