The DeMarco Law Firm, LLC

12/31/2021

An interesting read. Thoughts, comments?

Tony Timpa died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for 14 minutes. A court originally denied his family the right to sue.

02/12/2021

I've been watching and listening to my law school classmate Mike van der Veen defend Trump today. His argument that Trump's speech on 1/6 was protected under the First Amendment caused me to wonder: if Bobby Seale had given a similar speech and 100 or so activists and Black Panthers stormed a courthouse, state capital, Walgreens, whatever, issuing threats, assaulting police, stealing, vandalizing, etc., and later, some of those involved stated that they did what they thought Bobby Seale wanted them to do, would there be any doubt that Bobby Seale would be convicted of inciting a riot? That would be the least of the charges he'd be convicted of. And Bobby Seale never took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States.

The First Amendment would not have protected Bobby Seale, and it should not protect DJT. We cannot have two sets of laws: one for the privileged and one for the dispossessed.

02/12/2021

I've gotten a couple of calls from clients asking what their liability is if someone falls on their sidewalk, so I thought I'd post this for anyone who might be interested.

The general rule is "reasonableness": Did the homeowner (or whoever is responsible for keeping the sidewalks clear of snow and ice) make a reasonable effort to keep the sidewalks safe?

That means shoveling and applying ice melt as necessary. If snow melts during the day and ice forms overnight, throw down extra ice melt that morning.

Stay safe and healthy,

Chris

10/29/2019

A shout out to Attorney Irving Pinsky for a great verdict in New Haven court. If I have the facts right, Liberty Mutual Ins Co (the bad guys) was offering $1,000 to settle. Irving told them to stuff it and the jury awarded $80,000! Congratulations Irving!

10/04/2019

It occurred as I was riding into the office today that most people don't really know what to ask a lawyer when they're choosing one to represent them. Here's a suggestion: ask what will happen if your case doesn't settle. Or if it's a criminal case, what will happen if the State doesn't make an offer that you find acceptable. The lawyer should say, without hesitation, "We'll go to trial!" Then ask who the trial lawyer will be and ask to meet the lawyer who will be responsible for the ultimate conclusion of your case. Be sure to ask that lawyer how many similar trials he or she has had.

Too many law firms say they're trial firms but don't try cases, or farm the case out to another lawyer (like me) when the case doesn't settle. At The DeMarco Law Firm we handle cases from beginning to end and the client is the boss. Our job is to offer advice regarding settlement, but never to tell a client to settle.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

08/08/2019

Been trading calls with Randall Beech of the NH Register the last few days. He's writing an article for this Sunday's paper about the Koffee? stabbings. Hard to believe it's been 25 years. I represented Dan Silva, the Defendant, for 15 years as the case was finally disposed of 10 years ago with the great Judge Damiani presiding. I kept my "on the record" comments to a bare minimum as I still feel uncomfortable speaking to the press.

My understanding is that the article is being written from the perspective of the three New Haven Police Officers who responded to the scene and arrested Dan. These officers should be commended for the way they handled a very difficult situation.

08/04/2019

The recent shootings have caused me to remember what Pope John Paul II said years ago when he visited the US: that we are a country in danger of losing our soul. Although not a practicing Catholic, I had great respect for John Paul II as he seemed to be a man of God who preached love and unity. What did he sense those years ago when he visited? Have we lost our soul to divisiveness? Do we see each other only as Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Democrat or Republican, Muslim, Christian or Jew? We need to end this and recognize that we're all one.

07/12/2019

Disbursing settlement proceeds after settling a construction injury case. Five corporate defendants, all represented by great lawyers. Great client who had serious injuries and was cooperative and patient throughout the process. And a bonus: took a deposition not far from the Tree House Brewery in MA where I spent waaaayyyyy too much money on beer! Don't forget to think of The DeMarco Law Firm if you know anyone who's been hurt on a construction site. Cheers!

02/08/2019

We lost another good one -- Sergeant Direk Rodgers of the New Haven PD. I shared a few drinks with Direk and a lot of laughs. One of the rare people that always wore a smile and never had a negative thing to say about anyone.

10/05/2018

A shout out to the younger member of the firm, my son Matthew (or Matt, as he prefers to be called). He's taken a lot of weight off my shoulders, preparing for jury selection, settling cases, handling GA criminal matters -- and doing a great job! Thanks Matt!

08/31/2018

In the battle for justice for 30 years, The DeMarco Law Firm is here for one person and one person only: you, our client. We focus on litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury, criminal defense, and civil liberties. Our goal is to guide our clients through the maze that is the U.S. legal syste...