REID COLLINS DEFEATS SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION IN LOUISIANA FEDERAL COURT, MOVING PRO BONO DISCRIMINATORY POLICING CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT CLOSER TO TRIAL

• National trial firm Reid Collins & Tsai LLP handling pro bono prosecution of civil rights lawsuit alongside ACLU of Louisiana.
• Violent May 2020 arrest of Teliah Perkins at her own home by Sheriff's Office deputies for misdemeanor traffic stop is basis for excessive force and First Amendment retaliation lawsuit.
• Plaintiff defeats Defendants' motion for summary judgment, taking case closer to trial.

NEW ORLEANS, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, top national trial boutique Reid Collins & Tsai LLP obtained a key ruling on behalf of Teliah Perkins, a Black woman from Slidell, Louisiana, who was violently arrested at her own home in response to a minor traffic violation she did not commit. Reid Collins is representing Ms. Perkins pro bono in partnership with the ACLU of Louisiana's "Justice Lab" initiative.

On Tuesday, the Hon. Wendy B. Vitter of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana denied the bulk of the motion for summary judgment of the defendants, two St. Tammany Parish deputies. The Court held that the deputies are not entitled to qualified immunity on excessive force and First Amendment claims, as the facts and testimony show the violation of multiple, clearly established constitutional rights, including the right of a citizen arrested for a minor traffic violation to be free from unreasonable force, and the right of a minor child to peacefully record the police in his own driveway without the threat of physical harm.

Counsel for Ms. Perkins, Keith Cohan, said: "We appreciate the Court's thoughtful and detailed analysis of the evidence. Ms. Perkins looks forward to presenting her claims to a jury and to continuing her fight for justice - for herself and her family."

Reid Collins is proud to be a part of the ACLU of Louisiana's litigation campaign to challenge racially discriminatory policing practices.

The case is captioned Teliah C. Perkins, Individually and as Parent and Natural Guardian of D.J., a Minor, v. Kyle Hart and Ryan Moring, U.S.D.C. Eastern District of Louisiana, Civil Action No. 2:21-CV-00879

Click here to view Judge Vitter's opinion.

Click here to view the Perkins complaint.

Click here for video of the incident showing the deputies pressing Ms. Perkins' face and chest into the pavement and threatening to Taser her child for recording the arrest.

Click here to learn more about the Justice Lab project.

Reid Collins & Tsai LLP is one of the nation's leading plaintiffs' trial firms, litigating complex business disputes and achieving billions of dollars in settlements and judgments for its clients. Its team is comprised of accomplished trial lawyers who have extensive experience prosecuting financial fraud and corporate malfeasance cases, bankruptcy and insolvency related litigation, professional liability claims, and cross-border disputes. The firm represents fund managers, investor groups, trustees, receivers, liquidators, international banks, companies, governmental entities, and individuals in federal and state courts across the country.

For more information visit www.reidcollins.com

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Source: Reid Collins & Tsai LLP

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SOURCE Reid Collins & Tsai LLP