Pro Bono Effort Leads to Civil Rights Settlement with Baltimore Police Department

• An Orrick pro bono team, collaborating with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, engineered the settlement of a class action civil rights lawsuit against the Baltimore Police Department involving department practices of searching and seizing personal property of shooting victims without a warrant or consent in violation of their constitutional rights.
• As part of the settlement terms, the police department adopted a new policy expected to benefit future crime victims and serve as a model for other cities. The property seized included clothes, jewelry, phones, shoes, cash and other items.
• The lawsuit was filed in 2021 based on reports from shooting survivors who, while undergoing medical treatment, had their belongings seized by Baltimore Police Department officers between 2018 and 2021. Despite initial refusals to return the victims' property, BPD eventually acknowledged the impropriety of its actions and worked towards a resolution. The settlement agreement calls for the department to commit to training, supervising, and disciplining its officers/employees to ensure they conduct searches and seizures within the confines of the law.

"We're gratified we were able to vindicate the rights of the victims of these egregious due process violations through this settlement," said Orrick associate Alison Epperson, a member of the pro bono team. "We are particularly pleased that we were able to secure important reforms to Baltimore Police Department policies that will send a message to other law enforcement agencies that this type of misconduct will not be tolerated. This case exemplifies why our firm is so committed to providing pro bono support to strengthen civil rights protections in communities across the country."

The Lawyers Committee issued this press release on the settlement.

In addition to Alison, the Orrick team included partner Anne Malik and associates Ciarra Carr and Jade Gasek.