Benjamin Schonbrun, Los Angeles Lawyer, Civil Rights Lawsuits, Personal Injury Litigation

Benjamin Schonbrun

Curriculum Vitae

BENJAMIN SCHONBRUN
D.O.B. 11/26/52

EXPERIENCE:

FOUNDING PARTNER: SCHONBRUN DESIMONE SEPLOW HARRIS & HOFFMAN LLP

EDUCATION:

BROOKLYN COLLEGE, BROOKLYN, N.Y. B.A. 1975
MAJOR: POLITICAL SCIENCE, MINOR SECONDARY EDUCATION

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY: STUDY ABROAD 1973-1974

UNIVERSITY OF WEST LOS ANGELES SCHOOL OF LAW, J.D. 1983
SECOND YEAR CLASS PRESIDENT

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE IN CALIFORNIA: 1985
California State Bar; U.S. District Court Central District of California; U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, United States Supreme Court

NOTEWORTHY CASES

Sanders vs. New York State Department of Correctional Services, County of Los Angeles et al., represented mentally disabled Los Angeles resident who was wrongfully imprisoned for over two years in New York State prison system. Case resulted in settlements of over $3.5 million against New York State and County of Los Angeles and published Ninth Circuit opinion. Story featured in Sunday New York Times magazine, August 8, 2000

The best source of information about the department turned out to be Benjamin Schonbrun, a lawyer in Los Angeles representing Mr. Sanders. He said that while the court papers contained no information about disciplinary actions or changes in policy, he had gotten some answers during depositions of officials at the department, including the commissioner, Glenn S. Gourd.

Mr. Schonbrun said he was told that no disciplinary action had been taken against anyone since the mistake was discovered five years ago. State workers repeatedly ignored Kerry Sanders's protestations that he was innocent and was not named Robert. They also ignored fingerprints, photographs and medical records.

Of the 25 state employees deposed, Mr. Schonbrun said, only one reported being disciplined for any reason, and that was not in connection with the case. ''One corrections officer said he was formally disciplined for giving a prisoner a cup of coffee,'' Mr. Schonbrun said. ''But for wrongly putting someone away for two years, you get nothing.''

Mr. Schonbrun said he was told that the department had recently begun taking better photographs of convicts and training its officers to compare fingerprints. It's reassuring to hear that some reforms are under way, although it would be nice not to have to depend on a lawyer in California for news about our state policies.

(Excerpted from New York Times article, 8/11/2000)

Calonne vs. S.C.R.T.D., et al., represented family of passenger who was shot and killed by deranged woman passenger on a City bus. Case settled for over one million dollars.

Brown v. City of Hawthorne: litigated on behalf of the family of a young man who was shot and killed by the City of Hawthorne police department. $1,000,000 settlement.

Scott v. County of Los Angeles, represented Estate of Donald Scott in federal civil rights lawsuit
against law enforcement officials from the County of Los Angeles and federal government which resulted in a $5 million settlement paid to the plaintiffs for death of Malibu rancher killed during police raid.

Garcia v. City of Los Angeles, we represented a Mexican immigrant, his sister and mother who visited the Griffith Observatory on a family outing and wound up being assaulted and battered in violation of their civil rights by Park Rangers. The case settled for $335,000 and a promise from the City of Los Angeles to upgrade their training for Park Rangers to comply with statewide practices for law enforcement.

Zammit vs. City of Los Angeles, represented family of motorcyclist killed in traffic accident due to a dangerous road condition. Case resulted in settlement of $450,000.00,

Slaughter v. Eastwood Owners Association, represented the mother of a college basketball player at Chaffey College who was shot and killed by the resident manager of his apartment complex, a former LAPD detective. $925,000.00 settlement.

Griffith v. Davis, represented the daughter of a man who was shot and killed by an IRS special agent. Resulted in the reported case of Griffith v. Davis, 161 F.R.D. 687 (1995) which held that plaintiffs could discover documents which pertained to the IRS investigation of the matter, including the statement of the IRS special agent. $650,000.00 settlement.

CURRENT NOTEWORTHY CASES

Wadkins vs. Hanford Auto Sales, Ford Motor Company, et al., represent the heirs of six family members who were killed when their car veered off the road, struck a bridge and plunged into a cold water canal.

CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENTS

Benjamin Schonbrun & Partners have represented numerous plaintiffs in sexual harassment, race discrimination, wrongful termination, pregnancy discrimination and disability discrimination which resulted in settlements in the hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars.

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.