SAN DIEGO, CA, November 06, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Thomas Luneau -- a partner at San Diego-based Casey Gerry -- has been recognized as an "Outstanding Trial Lawyer" by the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (CASD), a local organization of trial lawyers dedicated to preserving and protecting the legal rights of consumers.
According to firm senior partner David S. Casey, Jr., whose father David Casey, Sr. founded CASD in 1960, Luneau was honored during a special "Evening with the Trial Stars" dinner recently hosted by CASD at the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego.
Casey said that the award was presented to Luneau based on his outstanding work on a civil rights case against two prison guards employed at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa. The case was tried in the United States District Court, Southern District of California. Luneau represented the victim's mother, Gretchan Young -- along with attorneys Robert Hamparyan and John Gomez -- in a case in which the victim, Johnny Young, died after being choked by the prison guards. A schizophrenic, Young suffered a psychotic episode, was forcibly detained by the guards, and died immediately following the incident as a result of a carotid chokehold.
Luneau helped obtain a $1.3 million jury verdict for his client. A Federal jury found that the defendants were guilty of negligence, and that they violated the inmate's Eighth Amendment Right against cruel and unusual punishment.
This case is just one example of the complex litigation that Luneau has skillfully handled. Earning numerous multi-million verdicts and settlements for his clients, Luneau focuses his practice primarily on personal injury, products liability and civil rights, and has extensive experience with a full gamut of cases, including defective products, packaging and automobiles. In addition, he has special expertise in law enforcement and military issues, and has successfully represented personnel from agencies that include: the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. He began his legal career at Casey Gerry in 1982 as a private investigator, and began working for the firm as an attorney after earning his J.D. from Western State University of Law in 1989. A resident of San Diego's San Carlos neighborhood, he earned his bachelor's degree in history from San Diego State University, and is affiliated with the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and the American Association for Justice. In addition, he is secretary of the East County Posse, a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of fellow East County residents in need of help.
About Casey Gerry
Celebrating more than 60 years in San Diego, Casey Gerry was established in 1947, and is the oldest plaintiffs' law firm in San Diego. The firm's 12 attorneys practice in numerous areas, including asbestos, personal injury, product liability and pharmaceutical litigation. Located in the Banker's Hill neighborhood of San Diego, the firm also has a satellite office in Carlsbad, Calif. For more information, call (619) 238-1811 or visit http://www.caseygerry.com.
Media Contact:
CONTACT: Sydnie Moore (619) 823-8448 Moore2com@aol.com
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