Manning Kass Team Granted Complete Dismissal in Case Representing Los Angeles County

Los Angeles Partners Geoffrey Plowden, Katherine Hwang, and Kelly Duncan were victorious in receiving a complete dismissal for our clients, Los Angeles County and several of its employees, in a civil rights lawsuit. 

In the case, investigators sought to secure a “Ramey Warrant”, a warrant that grants law enforcement the ability to arrest a suspect based on probable cause without having to file formal criminal charges. A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge granted the warrant based upon the Statement of Probable Cause issued by the detective.

Due to only SWAT officers being authorized to contact a murder suspect in a residence and because approaching a homicide suspect at the front door posed safety risks, officers employed a ruse to draw Plaintiff out of his home and initiated a traffic stop to detain him. During the arrest, Plaintiff alleged that the handcuffs were too tight, causing an injury in his shoulder. He was released after spending 20 hours in custody with no criminal charges filed, though the investigation remains open and ongoing.

After being released, Plaintiff initiated this action against the county and the individual defendants. The complaint alleges three claims against the individual officers based on alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment, including: (1) unlawful / unreasonable seizure of person; (2) excessive / unreasonable use of force; and (3) unreasonable search and seizure of personal property, as well as municipal liability. 

Geoffrey Plowden, Katherine Hwang, and Kelly Duncan represented the defense in the case and filed for motion summary judgement to all causes of action. The Central District Court judge issued a ruling in their favor, dismissing the entire case.

About Our Team

Geoffrey R. Plowden is a member of the Governmental Entity Liability team. Prior to joining Manning Kass, he worked for 22 years as Senior Trial Counsel for the Los Angeles Police Department, serving as a Deputy City Attorney with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Mr. Plowden has tried numerous high-profile and complex cases in both the Los Angeles Superior Courts and the United States District Courts and has lectured at seminars on law enforcement and municipal liability.

Katherine J. Hwang is a member of the Appellate Law team. Prior to joining Manning Kass, Ms. Hwang served as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice and later as the owner and principal of her own firm. She also served as Of Counsel to various defense firms in California and New York in matters involving general liability, business litigation, criminal law, and post-conviction relief in both state and federal courts.

Kelly Duncan is a member of the Governmental Entity Liability team. Before joining the firm, she served as Deputy County Counsel for Santa Barbara County, acting as in-house counsel for the Sheriff’s Office. She later joined the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, where she was appointed Chief Deputy District Attorney and served as Assistant District Attorney, overseeing the operational management of the office.