Georgia Injury Lawyer Blog

A recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that bed bugs are growing into more of a problem in Atlanta, Georgia. The AJC reports that according to the latest figures, Atlanta ranks number 21 of the top 50 cities that have bed bugs the most. That's up from No. 45 as of a couple years ago.

Overall, a professional extermination company that regularly treats bedbugs was interviewed by the AJC and stated that they saw over a 30 percent increase in bed bug business between 2010 and 2011.

The AJC also reported that exterminators stated that the top two bed bug cities the second year in a row were Cincinnati and Chicago, respectively. Also included in the top 10 were Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York and Richmond/Petersburg, Va., respectively.

Entomologists who treat bed bugs state that cities with busy airports such as Atlanta may see increased bed bug problems because of increased travel along with the bed bug population increasing over all.

Williams Oinonen LLC has dealt with many bed bug clientele in Georgia and reports also having seen an increase in bed bug clients over the past year. As professional exterminators will acknowledge, bed bugs do not discriminate between 5-star and 1-star apartment complexes and hotels. Both can have them.

However, Williams Oinonen LLC reports that in general, some of the more high-end hotels are quicker to properly respond to bed bug complaints whereas lower star hotels can sometimes be more egregious in their conduct at times.

Regarding apartment complexes however, Williams Oinonen LLC states that unfortunately, our law firm has seen both property owners in luxury style complexes as well as landlords in low income housing fail to respond to tenants complaints properly.

Williams Oinonen LLC advises travelers to look for signs of bed bugs such as tiny rust-colored spots on bed sheets, underneath the mattress, and the sides of mattresses prior to bringing the luggage into their room.

Also, while not a guarantee, it can't hurt to ask the hotel staff whether they are aware of previous bed bug complaints. If they say yes, consider checking into another hotel. While hotels will generally not volunteer such information, sometimes you can encounter a truthful staff employee while others will deliberately hide and deny a known bed bug problem.

Once you have carefully inspected a room and bring your suitcases inside, rather than putting suitcases and clothes on the bed, inside dressers, or hotel couches, keep luggage and clothing on the luggage racks, and put all clothing in the dryer for at least 15 minutes on the highest setting after returning home.

For more information from our law firm, read here on dealing with a bed bug issue.

Federal law under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) gives parents the rights to their children's educational records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. This applies to most schools.

What Are A Parent's Rights Under FERPA?

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records:

• Parents have the right to review and inspect their child's educational records maintained by the school. Schools may charge for copies.

• Parents have the right to request that a school correct a record that they believe to be inaccurate. If the school decides not to amend the educational record, the parent has a right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent has a right to place a statement with the record reflecting their viewpoint about the information that is contested.

• Generally, schools must have in writing permission from a parent to release information about a student's educational record. The law allows schools to disclose those records to the following parties under the following conditions:

 School officials who have a legitimate educational interest in reviewing the record;
 Another school where the student transfers to;
 Appropriate officials for evaluation or auditing purposes;
 Appropriate individuals in connection to the student's financial aid;
 Organizations providing certain studies on behalf of the school;
 Accreditation institutions;
 To comply with a court order or subpoena;
 Appropriate officials in safety and health emergencies; and
 Juvenile justice system authorities, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools are allowed to disclose, without consent, "directory" information including name, phone number, and other such basic information as long as they tell parents about such information and allow a reasonable time frame to opt out.

These rights under FERPA will transfer to the student when they reach the age of majority (age 18) or attend college or an educational institution beyond high school.

Continue reading "Parents Rights Under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act" »

Paula Deen, her brother, and her companies have been sued for racial discrimination, assault, battery, sexual harassment, amongst other unlawful, humiliating conduct practiced upon their employees. Ms. Lisa T. Jackson is the plaintiff in this matter and the former general manager at one of Paula's restaurants. Ms. Jackson worked for Paula Deen from approximately 2005 to 2010.

Hired to do "a man's job:"
Paula Deen put her in the position of general manager to clean up her brother Bubba's failing restaurant which was called "Uncle Bubba's." At that time, the complaint alleges that Paul Deen stated, "if you think I have worked this hard to lose everything because of a piece of p***y think again. . . And now I am going to do something I have never done. I am going to put a woman in a man's job" giving Ms. Jackson six months to turn the restaurant around.

Called "my little Jew girl:"
The complaint alleges that in six months, Ms. Deen's directive was accomplished and as a result she was called "my little Jew girl" by Paula's brother and "almost Jewish" by their Certified Public Accountant (CPA). As general manager, Ms. Jackson alleges that in spite of her accomplishments, she was not paid a salary equal to her male counterparts and was told by the CPA that "women are stupid because they think they can work and have babies and get everything done" and that Paula's brother Bubba "would not permit a woman to be paid any more than she was already paid."

Ms. Jackson stated that she and her employees were subjected to oppressive sexual and racial harassment including being subjected to inescapable pornography that brother Bubba brought into her office every single day.

Sexual Harassment:
The complaint alleges that Paula Deen's brother Bubba would ask Ms. Jackson if she would bring pictures of when she was young for him to view, would comment on her physical appearance, comment on other female employees physical appearance, and regularly made abusive comments that included talking about men putting beer on top of a woman's head while "she is giving you a blowjob." Ms. Jackson also alleges that Paula Deen's brother Bubba Hiers forcibly and unlawfully grabbed her face, kissing her and spitting upon her.

Racial Discrimination Including Use of the N-Word:
Ms. Jackson (who is Caucasian) alleges in her complaint that both Paula Deen and her brother Bubba Hiers also subjected her to racially discriminatory conduct every single day. For example, the complaint Ms. Jackson states that when she asked Paula Deen what type of uniforms she preferred the servers to wear, Paula Deen responded by stating:

"Well what I would really like is a bunch of little n*ggers to wear long sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around. . .Now that would be a true southern wedding wouldn't it? But we can't do that because the media would be on me about that." laughed Paula Deen to Ms. Jackson.

Keeping Blacks in the Back:
Ms. Jackson states in her complaint that all African American staff persons at her restaurant were required to use one restroom in the back of the restaurant and not the customer restrooms even though the white staff were allowed to. Additionally, she alleges that African American staff persons were not allowed to go to the front of the restaurant and that when Ms. Jackson hired two African American hostesses, Paula's brother Bubba Hiers repeatedly complained. Ms. Jackson also alleges that Bubba would start drinking whiskey at approximately upon 10:00 a.m. where he began his day of drinking and abusive behavior.

"Don't You Wish You Could Rub All The Black Off of You And Be Like Me?":
The complaint alleges many of Bubba's abuse including stating: "I wish I could put all those n*ggers [in the kitchen] on a boat to Africa;" that he told a black security guard: "don't you wish you could rub all the black off of you and be like me. . you just look dirty I bet you wish you could;" told a vendor that he had a "bunch of coons in this kitchen," told jokes using the word n*gger in the presence of others, physically and violently shook an African American kitchen staff person and challenged other black kitchen workers to fight him.

After five years of being subjected to Bubba Hier's abusive violent conduct Ms. Jackson states she began developing enormous stress which caused her chest pains, panic attacks and later serious medical consequences which made her doctor insist she stay away from work and request that he admit her to the hospital. The complaint allege that she made pleas for relief to senior management reporting the discriminatory conditions and abusive treatment she confronted.

Ms. Jackson is asking that the Court permanently enjoin Paula Deen, her brother, and her companies from further unlawful conduct including awarding her damages and attorney fees.

To view the actual complaint, click here: Jackson v. Deen, et al. Complaint(1).pdf

Continue reading "Good Georgia Lawyer Discusses Paula Deen Lawsuit For Racial Discrimination, Use of the N-Word, Sexual Harassment of Employees" »

The Georgia Whistleblower Act, codified under O.C.G.A. §45-1-4, protects public employees from wrongful termination or retaliation as a consequence of their 'whistleblowing' activity.

To summarize, the law states that a public employer cannot retaliate against a public employee for disclosing noncompliance or violation of a law, rule or regulation to a government agency or supervisor, or for refusing to participate in any policy, practice, or activity of the public employer that the employee has a reasonable cause to belief that noncompliance or a violation of the law, rule, or regulation is occurring.

What is retaliation? This could refer to a discharge, suspension, demotion, or any other adverse employment action taken by a public employer against the public employee in the terms of their employment.

If you are an employee who works for a public employer (an executive, judicial, or legislative branch of the state; any other department, board, bureau, commission, authority, or other agency of the state which employs or appoints a public employee or public employees; or any local or regional governmental entity that receives any funds from the State of Georgia or any state agency O.C.G.A. § 45-1-4) then the Georgia Whistleblower Act may apply.

If in the event you experience any type of demotion, suspension, or discharge as a result of participating in protected whistleblowing activity, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible in order to protect your rights. A public employee may file an action against their employer within one year of discovering the retaliation or within three years of the retaliation.

Continue reading "Good Georgia Lawyer Discusses Georgia Whistleblower Act" »

On Saturday, February 4th, Julie Oinonen, Partner at Williams Oinonen LLC was a guest speaker at Covenant College, on Lookout Mt. Georgia where she spoke to Covenant students who are considering law school. Covenant College is a four year liberal arts Christian college on Lookout Mountain, Georgia of which Ms. Oinonen is an alumna. Ms. Oinonen shared with students tips on getting into the best law school, succeeding while you are there, and figuring out whether a law career is right for you. Ms. Oinonen particularly spoke of her profession as a calling and how her faith informs her practice.

Ms. Oinonen is a partner at Williams Oinonen LLC, a civil litigation firm that also provides political consulting, campaign strategy, and opponent research for election campaigns. This is her second time speaking at Covenant College within the past year as her law firm has made a special effort to reach out to pre-law students at the institution.

The two other alumni speakers at the event were Mr. Pete Johnson and Mr. Cal Marshall, both licensed attorneys in the state of Tennessee. Mr. Pete Johnson an attorney at his own firm, handles corporate, real estate, wills, construction and development law. Mr. Cal Marshall is an associate Chambliss Bahner and Stophel P.C. in Chattanooga where he practices business and health law, assisting clients on compliance with federal and state regulations and business planning.

Williams Oinonen LLC is currently planning to host Covenant College students on April 13th in Atlanta, Georgia where they will be given a tour of the state Capitol, downtown courthouses, luncheon at the Commerce Club, and tour of Emory University School of Law in the afternoon.

Ms. Oinonen is an alumna of Emory University School of Law and both she and her law partner, Mr. Mario Williams are Emory University law fellows with the Center of Advocacy and Dispute Resolution. Williams Oinonen LLC is the only law firm in Georgia that boasts having both law partners as current fellows at Emory University School of Law.

Said Ms Oinonen about her experience at Covenant College on February 4th: "It is always a privilege to be able to spend time with the students at Covenant College. They are thoughtful, engaging, intellectual thinkers who develop strong critical thinking skills, an important component for legal minds."

Good Georgia Lawyer is very concerned about the Governor's new plan to turn the emergency lane on the Ga. 400 into a travel lane. Governor Nathan Deal announced this new project to convert the highway shoulder that is typically used for an emergency lane as an additional lane for traffic. The emergency shoulder is currently used for ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars who need a speedy bypass for getting through congested traffic to reach an emergency or get a patient to the hospital in time.

Emergency services operators are all expressing their alarm. Even those who simply need to use the emergency lane in the event of a car break down now will not have an option to do so, thus increasing the dangers on this particular freeway significantly. Firefighters, police officers, and ambulance drivers are against the new plan believing it will put the public at risk.

Ga. 400 rush-hour commuters know how difficult this freeway can be as it has been recently ranked as one of the nations most unreliable commutes. Nevertheless, experts say that converting the emergency lane into a traffic lane will not ease the traffic that significantly and critics contend that the heavy price tag made up of safety losses make it not worth it.

Good Georgia Lawyer regularly represents Georgians who have been seriously injured or tragically killed because of a dangerous highway condition and thus we urge the Governor and Department of Transportation to consider other solutions before sacrificing highway safety.

For example, we recently represented a U.S. military sergeant who nearly lost her life due to a tragic automobile accident on a Georgia interstate when she was hit by a reckless driver, an admitted drug addict, who had been weaving in and out of traffic. She rolled through several freeway lanes of traffic before tumbling into the emergency lane and flipping into an embankment.

Fortunately for her, other witnesses and Good Samaritans had an emergency lane during the time of this collision where they were able to pull over and assist her in while they waited for emergency medical personnel to arrive.

This client of ours sustained serious medical injuries that she will sadly suffer the rest of her life. Shortly after the automobile collision, she retained a lawyer who wanted her to settle her claim for $30,000. Dissatisfied with the legal service she was rendered, she terminated him as counsel and subsequently retained her firm. We were very honored to be able to represent her and aggressively litigated the case preparing for trial. As a result of hard work and preparation, we were able to settle her case for the full policy limits, at a confidential six figure settlement.

She recently wrote to us the following:

"I was in a horrific car accident in 2009. I was hit by a drug addict. My car did 'three-sixties' on the highway and flipped over into an embankment. My car was totaled. By the grace of God I had no broken bones but I had several other injuries.

Hopefully I will not have to use their services again...but if I ever need an attorney, I will definitely use them an no one else! Remember this name "Williams Oinonen LLC. They are the truth!!!!"

While we are grateful and honored to have been able to represent this United States Military Sergeant, we are also grateful that her injuries were not more severe. One reason this particular automobile accident did not turn out worse then it did was because the Good Samaritans and ambulance personnel who helped her had access to an emergency lane.

Good Georgia Lawyer urges the Governor and Department of Transportation to reconsider this plan for the Georgia 400. Nothing is worth more than keeping the safety of our Georgia residents first.

A family in Gwinnett County are very upset when their 13-year-old child was suspended after voluntarily turning in a pocket knife he had found in his school bag. After complaining, school officials agreed to decrease the number of days he was suspended and rethink the suspension policy.

The young child found the pen knife in the backyard that his aunt had bought second hand at a yard sale and given him as a Christmas gift. As soon as he found the knife, he immediately turned it into his teacher.

Even though it was obviously not the young man's fault, common sense did not follow and the school foolishly gave the boy a four day in school suspension for violating the school policy on weapons.

Since then, though, school officials have now reduced the boy's suspension to two days and claim they will "rethink" the policy. Says the boy's father: "He is a very good child. We've never had a discipline problem with him; he is in Boy Scouts, he is very good natured." Additionally, he told his son, "Jack, you did the right thing. What else could you have done?"

Severe and automatic punishments evolved from the 'zero-tolerance' movement which started in the eighties in keeping with the federal anti-weapons and drug policies. But as the AJC reports: over the years, Georgia students have been suspended under zero tolerance "for kissing a girl on the forehead, wearing a studded belt, bringing a French teacher a gift-wrapped bottle of wine and carrying a Tweety Bird wallet with a chain on it."

In 2009, a similar incident happened when a middle school student accidentally brought a fishing knife to school and ended up being expelled, arrested, convicted of a felony and sent to an alternative program even though he voluntarily gave up the knife to the principal.

This is an example of the type of absurd, common-sense lacking decisions that sometimes occur among school districts as experienced by some of Good Georgia Lawyer's clients. Fortunately, in response to the 2009 incident, state Senator Emanuel Jones, a Democrat from Decatur, sponsored legislation that required a hearing before taking a student into custody and prohibits charging a student as a designated felon unless the weapon is used in an assault or it is a gun. This bill was signed into law in spring of 2010 by the Governor.

If your son or daughter becomes a victim of this type of common senseless injustice, it can be very helpful to contact an attorney right away to protect your child's legal rights. Georgia law provides that if there is the potential of a suspension longer than ten days, then O.C.G.A. § 20-2-753 requires a disciplinary hearing where the requirements of O.C.G.A. §20-2-754 are met including providing written notice, entitling the student to be represented by legal counsel and to present evidence.

In this instance, if the period of discipline is shorter than ten days, an attorney is still helpful to protect your child's rights in these types of extreme instances. If other issues are involved--such as violations of Georgia bullying law or federal disability laws--there can be even greater need to obtain legal counsel.

Continue reading "Good Georgia Education Lawyer Discusses Georgia School District's Unfair Discipline Of A Student " »

Williams Oinonen LLC is happy to report recent success in representing a Georgia educator with decades of experience who had her contract non-renewed with the Fulton County School District. To add insult to injury, the school district denied her employment benefits putting this divorced mother at risk of losing her home and not being able to provide for her young children right before the Christmas holiday.

Williams Oinonen LLC generally bills clients in all employment matters but in this case, we accepted this matter on a pro bono basis as this successful educator had been a loyal client of ours in the past and was in an emergency situation in need of urgent help. It was the least we could do to help a dedicated and committed educator who had served the Georgia public schools for so many years.

We are happy to say that we were able to win our client's appeal and she was awarded back pay and her unemployment benefits just in time for Christmas. We were humbled to receive from her the following email which she gave permission to share:

"Williams Oinonen LLC is a law firm whose attorneys command that justice be served. My case involved complex tactics on the defendant's part to undermine my professional integrity and years of service as an educator, including denying my rights to unemployment benefits in a tough job market.

Thank you again, Ms. Oinonen. You are a life saver! Everyone (my loved ones) is ecstatic with your work!"

Williams Oinonen LLC is committed to helping teachers, educators, parents, and students insure that their rights are protected under the law. If you are a Georgia teacher, Georgia parent, or Georgia student that is in need of legal assistance, don't wait till the situation gets worse.

Often times, we are able to do things before the injustice occurs to mitigate damages or prevent the worst from happening. If you suspect that your rights are being slowly violated, don't wait till negative action is taken such as through a non-renewal letter. Contact our office first to schedule an appointment in order to set in place the necessary protections to protect your legal interests.

Here is one letter that Williams Oinonen LLC recently received from a satisfied client who walked out of our office with a very fat check after hiring us to handle her case. This client was a school teacher who lost everything and was severely injured due to someone's negligence. While we can't tell you the Defendant's name or the amount of money they had to pay her to compensate her for these injuries due to a confidentiality agreement, we can share with you what she states in her own words about us:

"Hi, my name is Nicole and I retained services from Williams Oinonen LLC. This was my first time hiring a lawyer so naturally I was very skeptical. But, my experience with Williams Oinonen LLC has been a fantastic experience. When I first sought out a lawyer, I emailed countless of law firms and most law firms didn't even respond to my email. One law firm responded and told me I didn't have a strong case. Williams Oinonen LLC is the ONLY law firm that even considered taking my unique case.

Thank you for EVERYTHING !!! My family and I can now move on with our lives!"

Here is one email that Williams Oinonen LLC received from a highly, satisfied client who obtained good sized check after hiring us to handle his case. This client was a professional who was injured due to the negligence of a corporation he had been a customer at. The result of his injuries affected his appearance and in turn, his self-confidence on the job and in his day to day life. While we can't tell you the Defendant's name or the amount of money we got them to pay in order to compensate our client for these injuries due to a confidentiality agreement, we can share with you what he states in his own words about us:

"I was new to the Atlanta area and had a case that was not important to anyone until I talked to the law office of Williams Oinonen LLC and after that I started to see thing move for me. I am so satisfied with all the effort that Williams Oinonen LLC did for me. I don't think I would have received this kind of loyalty or support from any other firm in GA. They made it easy for me to understand what was going on every step of the way. They explained every law term in plain English with me. I have and will continue to refer people to this firm. I have yet to hear any complaints from anyone that I have sent their way. So I highly recommend the law office of Williams Oinonen LLC. If I ever need a law firm this is the only one I will call. I cannot say enough about this office. You guys are my lawyers for life!"--Tim T.

Williams Oinonen LLC represents Georgians all across the state in employment matters, personal injury, business litigation, business disputes, education and civil rights matters. We are passionate about our clients and fight hard for them to obtain the justice they deserve. As the 2011 year ends, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our Georgia community and look forward to future service.

The family at Good Georgia Lawyer, Williams Oinonen LLC, wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.

We are very thankful for all our many blessings this year. God has been good and it is only through Him that we derive our strength and being.

We wish all our clients and fellow neighbors of the Georgia community a safe and happy holiday. Enjoy the turkey, your loved ones-- family, and friends.

Good Georgia Lawyer is very sad to report that another child has tragically lost their life due to suicide as a result of bullying. The Illinois family of a 10-year-old honor student named Ashlynn Conner who committed suicide last week stated that their daughter had been a victim of bullying at her elementary school and in her community.

Ashlynn, a student at Georgetown Ridge Farm Elementary School, told her mother two weeks before her death that she was being bullied for years and did not know how to react to the bullies.

Last week, Ashlynn asked her parents if she could be home-schooled. Shortly thereafter, her sibling found her hanging in her closet. The Police are now investigating the bullying claims through Twitter and emails.

Good Georgia Lawyer has written extensively about bullying in Georgia. For more information, we encourage you to read our article entitled "Resolving Bullying Problems for Your Child Part One."

To understand what legal rights your child has regarding bullying, please read Bullying Part Two, Legal Implications. Georgia Bullying Law is codified in O.C.G.A. 20-2-751.4 however there are additional civil rights laws that also can protect students from harm.

Additionally, "Pressing Criminal Charges Against A Bully" discusses some of the options you have when your son or daughter is the victim of a violent crime of physical or sexual assault by a bully.

To read the Georgia Department of Education Policy on preventing bullying, harassment and intimidation, please click here.

If your son or daughter is experiencing a problem with bullying, we encourage you to schedule an appointment to discuss your legal rights and options. You can contact us at 404-654-0288.

At the request of Georgia State Bar President-Elect Robin Frazer Clark, President Ken Shigley appointed Julie Oinonen, partner at Williams Oinonen LLC to serve on the Georgia Fair Market Practices Committee.

The Fair Market Practices Committee will have two tasks:

First, this committee will review over potential amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct 7.2 on legal advertising and a nonbinding Statement on Professionalism in Lawyer Advertising that will address practices that the federal courts do not let us prohibit.

The scope of what can be done about lawyer advertising rules under federal court decisions on commercial speech is pretty much limited to adding a finite list of disclosure and disclaimer requirements. There have been recent federal court decisions arising in New York, Florida and Louisiana. Any proposal approved by this committee will be subject to approval by the Disciplinary Rules Committee, Board of Governors and Supreme Court of Georgia.

Second, this committee will develop a program for more effective enforcement of Rule 7.3, which prohibits direct solicitation of clients, particularly injury victims. For years some lawyers have systematically used "runners" to solicit personal injury cases in direct contravention of Rule 7.3 and OCGA 15-19-55. President Ken Shigley's opinion is that lawyers who conduct themselves in this manner poorly serve the consumers of legal services, unfairly compete against law-abiding attorneys who follow the rules, and degrade both the legal profession and the justice system. Stated President Shigley: "It is time to clean our own house. Thus, I am including both prosecutors and former FBI agents to serve on this committee."

Julie Oinonen is honored to accept appointment to the Fair Market Practices Committee and looks forward to serving.

Williams Oinonen LLC partner Julie Oinonen was recently appointed as a Fellow at the Emory University School of Law Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution.

Previously, Ms. Oinonen has been a Dean's Teaching Fellow and Post Doctoral Fellow for Emory University School of Law. She is also admitted into the prestigious Order of Emory Advocates, in addition to being awarded the Kathleen Kessler-Eidson Trial Advocacy Award and International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award by Emory University School of Law. Ms. Oinonen has a Masters of Education and Masters of Business Administration graduating Magna Cum Laude. She completed her undergraduate education at Covenant College, a Christian college located on Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Ms. Oinonen now joins her partner, Mr. Mario Bernard Williams, who is also a Fellow at the Center. Prior to Mr. William's career as an attorney at Williams Oinonen LLC, he worked in the field of International Human Rights throughout South America. Mr. Williams graduated with honors from Morehouse with a degree in Political Science and has extensive experience with opponent research, policy analysis and political consulting. Additionally, Mr. Williams and Ms. Oinonen have had much success working on opponent research campaigns for elected officials throughout Georgia.

Ms. Oinonen's recent appointment as Fellow at the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution makes Williams Oinonen LLC the only law firm in the United States to have both Partners named as Fellows of Emory University Law School.

Currently, Williams Oinonen LLC is accepting new clients. We welcome you to contact us to schedule an appointment today.

This is an extremely disturbing video of what happened yesterday in Oakland, California at an Occupy Oakland protest. A young Iraq war veteran named Scott Olsen, age 24, is potentially brain injured thanks to a police officer throwing something that some people are alleging to be a flashbang grenade, i.e. a bomb, into a crowd of people. When a crowd of young people rush to help save him it appears that the police officer throws a second bomb at the crowd. At this point, the police department have issued a press release denying use of flash bang devices but others dispute this.

Flashbang grenades are NOT a non-lethal use of force as some police departments would have you believe. They are deadly. Just this year in Charlotte, North Carolina, a SWAT officer by the name of Fred Thornton was killed when a flash bang grenade exploded as he was securing his equipment in the trunk of his patrol car. Certain city police departments, including the New York City Police Department have banned the use of flash bang grenades because they kill innocent victims.

Sadly, certain police departments in Georgia use this dangerous device and have unjustifiably injured innocent Georgia civilians. For example, we've had clients with gruesome burns all over just because a police department in our state has unjustifiably thrown these bombs in the bedroom windows of innocent Georgia citizens while sleeping.

The video clip is an absolute example of police misconduct that violates the Constitutional rights of United States citizens. Shame on Oakland Mayor and Chief of Police for allowing such an unacceptable, illegal and unconstitutional use of force!

Hopefully, Scott Olsen, the 24 year old young man and Iraq war veteran who was injured by police yesterday, will pull through and recover without lasting damage to his brain. It is shocking that what he escaped on the streets of Iraq he came home to on the streets of America.

We do not live in a regime like Syria where dictators abuse their citizens without recourse. The Fourth Amendment of our United States Constitution protects persons from such such unlawful activities. Additionally, our civil justice system, as is guaranteed in the Seventh Amendment allows us to seek redress for violations of our Constitutional rights. Shame on the city of Oakland if in fact it is true that a police officer was allowed to throw a flashbang grenade at a crowd of people. These bombs due more than stun. They seriously maim and kill.

Good Georgia Lawyer calls on the Mayor of Oakland and Chief of Police to stop this unnecessary violence, do the right thing, and protect the constitutional rights of its citizens.

UPDATE: Oakland Police Department is denying that these were in fact were flashbang grenades. We hope this is true. But regardless, the above video clip shows unacceptable use of force against citizens and a clear violation of Constitutional rights.