05/26/2026
Note: We did not begin written or oral discovery until January 2022, shortly after the complaint was amended and the stay was lifted, after his the criminal case was fully resolved in his favor.
After years of litigation, depositions, motions, and waiting, we just received great news from the Northern District of Illinois — the fight for justice continues. We largely survived summary judgement, meaning not all of the causes of action were involuntary dismissed.
Back in 2017, I filed a case on behalf of a Black male client who was forcibly removed from his vehicle while simply sitting inside it. He was beaten, kicked, punched, tasered, and subjected to conduct that we allege violated his constitutional and civil rights. Multiple officers participated in the incident and, in our view, made material misrepresentations regarding what occurred.
I asked Jeanette Samuels to partner with me on this important matter, considering she is one of the best. We divided the work strategically — she handled the response related to the Monell claim against a major City, while I handled the remaining causes of action. Together, we took depositions of numerous officers and continued pushing this case forward despite the long road.
Today, we were informed that this case will proceed.
There is nothing greater than standing up to protect the civil rights of all people. This is exactly why I do this work. Civil rights litigation is never easy, never quick, and never guaranteed — but accountability matters. Justice matters. Truth matters. I am incredibly excited that we will continue this fight and do our very best to obtain justice for our client.
