Our firm has taken on many cases through the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s Prisoner Civil Rights Panel, representing prisoners in a variety of civil rights claims. These cases serve three important goals. First, they provide a vulnerable group with access to pro bono legal services. Second, they enable our firm to assist the court in managing its load of prisoner civil rights cases. Third, they enable our attorneys to gain valuable experience in the federal court.
Our prisoner cases have been quite varied. Here are two examples. Matt Hamermesh represented an inmate who was assaulted by cell mates, even though the client had previously complained to prison officials that the cell mates were gang members who had placed him on a “hit list.” The case was resolved via settlement. Jason Levine and Rob Wiygul represented a prisoner who alleged he was denied medical treatment and was retaliated against after he raised the issue. We successfully resolved the case, though the terms of the resolution are confidential.
