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Press Conference Discussing Legal Action Against Florida City in Police Shooting Death

 

 

On May 30, 2018, 23 year old Juvon Simon was shot twice through the closed door of a neighbor’s apartment by Florida City Police Officer Frantz Hardy. Simon died as a result of his injuries. The Haggard Law Firm has joined with the Law Firm of Asnis, Srebnick & Kaufman to represent the Simon family. We have jointly filed, on behalf of Simon’s mother, a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s office and The City of Florida City.

The intention of the legal filing (a pure bill of discovery) is to make sure the family has access to all evidence that materializes as part of the criminal investigation into the shooting. The family also wants to ensure that the investigation is conducted in a timely manner.

On Wednesday October 31, 2018 at 11 AM, the Simon family will hold a press conference outside of Florida City Hall to discuss the legal filing.

During the press conference family members will be joined by The Haggard Law Firm’s Christopher Marlowe and Dan Kaufman of Asnis, Srebnick & Kaufman to discuss a variety of topics including:

  • Contrary to published reports, their son DID NOT have a weapon on his person when he was killed
  • Multiple witnesses report seeing officer Hardy enter the active crime scene with a duffel bag.
  • Officer Hardy shot Simon through a door.
  • Florida City Police refuse to share with the family the officer’s file or details of any internal affairs investigation.

If you are a member of the media interested in attending or learning more, please contact J.P. HERVIS, Senior Publicist, Brandstory Communications 561.995.6560, JP@BrandstoryCommunications.com

 

Reaction to Las Vegas Hotel Suing Mass Shooting Victims

 

Earlier this week it was reported that the owner of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas filed a lawsuit against more than 1,000 victims of a mass shooting that killed 58 people in 2017. The MGM Resorts International’s lawsuit does not seek money and appears to be a judicial bid to avoid liability and dismiss claims against it. On October 1st of last year, 64 year old.

Stephen Paddock opened fire at festival attendees before committing suicide. Paddock had set up a firing point with 23 weapons in the Mandalay Bay overlooking the Route 91 Harvest festival, also owned by MGM.

Trial lawyer Christopher Marlowe of The Haggard Law Firm, which has litigated hundreds of negligent security cases many of which were against hotels/motels,  says MGM Resorts International overwhelming failed to pick up the shooter’s behavior that day and had security issues that lead to the tragedy in the weeks and months before it occurred.

“MGM Resorts and Mandalay Bay, in addition to facilitating mass murder at the  Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, are now attempting to use the court system to bastardize federal law and revictimize the families of those injured and killed on its property” says Marlowe.

He adds that the Federal SAFETY Act does not provide blanket immunity to landowners and operators who simply write a check to a security consulting firm which happens to be certified by the Department of Homeland Security.  The premise of this lawsuit against all of these victims is that, by hiring a certified firm, MGM had no further obligations whatsoever to its guests.

Marlowe says that the introduction to this absurd lawsuit states, “[Stephen] Paddock intended to inflict mass injury, death and destruction… The post-attack investigation revealed that Paddock brought in his van, which he parked in the hotel garage, 90 pounds of explosives, consisting of 20 two-pound containers of exploding targets, 10 one-pound containers of exploding targets and 2 twenty-pound bags of explosive precursors.”

click here to review notable Haggard Law Negligent Security Cases

The Haggard Law Firm partner adds “The “Seller” of the Qualified Anti–Terrorism Technology used at the festival, Contemporary Services Corporation, was presumably not in control over the security protocols and procedures relative to guests’ stockpiling of weapons at Mandalay Bay in the days leading up to this attack.  The shooter, in addition to the explosives he collected over a prolonged period of time, had twenty-three firearms in his hotel room at the time of the massacre. ”

The overwhelming failure by Mandalay Bay and MGM to appreciate the buildup of an entire militia’s worth of weaponry in a hotel room, by itself, is an independent and direct proximate cause of what ultimately transpired.  The hotel’s effort to immunize itself from negligence spanning not hours, but rather, days, weeks or months of security neglect, cannot be pawned off under a federal statute designed to protect purveyors of security technology for mass terrorism crimes that unfold in a matter of seconds. This particular act of terrorism required the kind of neglect that brings in boardroom level failures across every spectrum of hotel management – not just a few discreet minutes during a single music festival. – Christopher Marlowe

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National Crime Victim Bar Association’s National Conference

 

Next week our Pedro Echarte will be one of the featured speakers during the  2017 National Crime Victim Bar Association’s National Conference in Portland, Oregon.  The event, Civil Actions for Criminal Acts, offers attorneys a chance to network and learn from other attorneys in the field, and connect with victim advocates, counselors, program managers, attorneys, social workers, psychologists, researchers, nurses, volunteers, administrators, clergy, nonprofit managers, system-based service providers, and leaders from across the country.

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It will include:

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NCVBA National Conference – Civil Actions for Criminal Acts

Make your plans now to join The Haggard Law Firm‘s Michael Haggard from December 5th to the 7th in Portland, Oregon for the 2017 National Crime Victims Bar Association’s National Conference, Civil Actions for Criminal Acts. Haggard, the organization’s President-elect will be among the speakers during the conference.  The event offers attorneys a chance to network and learn from other attorneys in the field, and connect with victim advocates, counselors, program managers, attorneys, social workers, psychologists, researchers, nurses, volunteers, administrators, clergy, nonprofit managers, system-based service providers, and leaders from across the country.

Conference Training Highlights Include:

  • 15 workshops and four plenary sessions covering topics such as violence against women, campus crimes, elder abuse, victims with disabilities, underserved populations, children and youth, and many more;
  • Option to obtain Continuing Legal Education credits; and
  • Networking opportunities over lunch.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with other professionals in the field, or to attend Haggard’s workshop session!

Learn more about Michael Haggard by clicking here

 

To register, click here: http://victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/national-crime-victim-bar-association/conferences 

 

FBI: In 3 Days, More Than 80 Children Rescued From Human Traffickers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reporting that between October 12th and October 15th its agents saved 84 children who were involved in child sex trafficking operations.  120 alleged sex traffickers were arrested in “Operation Cross Country XI” which was conducted across the country.

A 3-month-old girl, the youngest of the victims, was rescued along with a 5-year-old girl, the FBI said. Their suspected trafficker, authorities say, was a friend of the family who had offered an undercover officer sex with the girls for $600. The average age of the rescued victims was 15 years old, according to the FBI.

As part of Operation Cross Country XI, FBI agents and task force officers staged operations in hotels, casinos, and truck stops, as well as on street corners and Internet websites.

“In order to stop this Human Trafficking growing problem, we need commercial businesses where victims are maliciously stored and housed to step up their efforts” says Michael Haggard, Managing Partner of The Haggard Law Firm. Haggard’s Firm has successfully litigated hundreds of cases against apartment complexes, hotels and other commercial business owners for negligent security and/or general premises liability matters that include wrongful death, catastrophic injury and even rape. Haggard believes businesses owners are an important line of defense in fighting the increasing number of human/sex trafficking victims.  The numbers prove that to be true.

Continue reading “FBI: In 3 Days, More Than 80 Children Rescued From Human Traffickers”