Budge & Heipt, PLLC

06/07/2016

If you or a loved one has been the victim of excessive force, you should consider seeking counsel experienced in handling such cases. The attorneys at Budge & Heipt have successfully pursued excessive force claims involving wrongful shootings, restraint-related asphyxia, the use of “less lethal” force (such as beanbags, batons, and chemical spray) and various other kinds of force leading to serious injury or death.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/excessive-force-pretrial-detainees-jail-objective-standard/

When police officers use too much force against a citizen, the citizen (or his or her estate) may assert that the force was excessive, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Such claims are analyzed under an “objective standard.” In order to prove that the force wa...

05/25/2016

Tragically, deaths from alcohol withdrawal occur far too often in American jails. Most of these deaths are preventable by following basic protocols and standards. The attorneys at Budge & Heipt are experienced in handling alcohol withdrawal death cases in federal courts around the country. If a loved one has died from alcohol withdrawal in jail and you are interested in assessing the merits of a potential wrongful death case, please contact Budge & Heipt for a free consultation.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/wrongful-death-alcohol-withdrawal-jail-ciwa/

Because alcohol withdrawal in jail can be fatal if not treated appropriately, it is incumbent on jail medical staff to ensure that alcohol-dependent detainees and inmates are properly monitored for symptoms of withdrawal when they are admitted to a jail. When alcohol withdrawal symptoms exist, they...

05/17/2016

If a loved one has died in jail, and you suspect that alcohol or drug withdrawal may be involved, please contact our offices for a free consultation. When such deaths take place, they must be investigated to determine whether it appears a constitutional violation has occurred. Gathering relevant governing documents is part of the investigative process. By seeking justice in individual cases, the system as a whole can be improved, and the risk of future similar deaths can be reduced.

Please contact Budge & Heipt to discuss your case. There is no cost or obligation to do so. Call us today at 206.624.3060.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/jail-deaths-alcohol-drug-withdrawal-importance-policies-procedures-protocols/

Death from alcohol or drug withdrawal in jail is often entirely preventable. When a person who is dependent on alcohol is forced to go “cold turkey” in jail without appropriate medical treatment, the resulting withdrawal symptoms can be deadly. The same is true for certain kinds of drug withdrawal...

03/08/2016

If there is any question about whether a certain kind or amount of force is unconstitutional, the attorney for the excessive force victim should be prepared to thoroughly research the case law in order to overcome the defense. A healthy understanding of qualified immunity and a willingness to spend long hours researching prior cases for favorable rulings can be critical to overcoming the defense.

If you or a loved one was a victim of excessive force resulting in death of serious injuries, please contact Budge & Heipt to discuss your case. There is no cost or obligation to do so.

http://budgeandheipt.com/news-press/police-brutality/qualified-immunity-in-police-cases-how-to-beat-the-defense/

One of the most frequently misunderstood issues in excessive force cases against the police relates to the defense of “qualified immunity.” What is qualified immunity and how can it be overcome? The doctrine of qualified immunity is frequently raised as a defense in cases asserting that the police…

02/22/2016

At Budge & Heipt, we seek justice for victims of wrongful death in jail. If you would like to discuss a case involving the death of a loved on in jail or prison, please contact our office for a confidential consultation by telephone or through our contact form. There is no cost or obligation to do so.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/wrongful-death-in-jail-liability-of-private-contractors/

02/10/2016

If you have lost a loved one as the result of possible police misconduct, or as the result of a death in jail or prison, please contact our offices online or call 206.624.3060 now for a free consultation.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/jail-prison-and-police-cases-proving-cause-of-death/

When a person dies in police custody, or in jail or prison, one of the most important questions concerns why and how the death occurred. Winning a wrongful death case against a jail, prison or police agency requires more than proving that the jail, prison or police violated the law. It must also b…

02/08/2016

At Budge & Heipt, our motto revolves around a quote from the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali: “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses–behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” By taking full advantage of the tools at our disposal, including the discovery tools outlined above, our goal is to be fully prepared and “ready to rumble” well before we step into the courtroom on the first day of trial.


If you or a loved one has been a victim of police brutality causing serious injuries or death, contact our office for a free consultation by calling 206.624.3060 today.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/getting-answers-in-an-excessive-force-case/

One of the main jobs of a police brutality attorney is to ferret out information from the defense. Before a lawsuit is filed with the court, this can be difficult to do. Police officers, their supervisors, and their attorneys are most often tight-lipped about the facts. Rarely will police brutali…

02/08/2016

It is important to remember that each case is different. There is no “one size fits all” strategy for any particular case, and what may be unimportant in one case may be critical in another. The question of municipal liability is no exception.


If you have a case involving wrongful death or serious injuries from excessive force, consider contacting the lawyers at Budge & Heipt for a free consultation. There is no cost or obligation to do so.

http://budgeandheipt.com/blog/holding-cities-and-counties-responsible-for-excessive-force-what-proof-is-required/

Excessive police force violates the United States Constitution. When a police officer uses excessive force against a citizen, he or she can be held liable for the resulting damages under a federal law called 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. Some people, including many lawyers, assume that if a police officer…

02/08/2016

The attorneys at Budge & Heipt have handled death cases relating to alcohol withdrawal in various states around the country, as well as death and serious injury cases relating to withdrawal in jail and prison from addictive prescription drugs (such as Xanax and other benzodiazepines).If you are concerned that a loved one was injured or died due to complications relating to drug or alcohol withdrawal in a jail, prison or police holding facility, please contact Budge & Heipt for a free consultation at your earliest opportunity.

http://budgeandheipt.com/news-press/wrongful-death-in-jail-prison/jail-death-attorneys-file-10-million-wrongful-death-claim-against-king-county-jail/

Jail death attorneys, Budge & Heipt, have filed a $10 million claim against the King County Jail in Seattle for the wrongful death of a pretrial detainee. The detainee, Nathan Zambryski, died at the jail in May 2015 from complications relating to alcohol withdrawal. Budge & Heipt, the lawyers for th…