The Law Offices of John Burton have been involved in pioneering civil rights litigation which has obtained compensation for many victims of police and jailors' misconduct. Some of the more interesting cases, including those which established rights on appeal, are listed below.
Mr. Burton is involved in multiple cases involving electronic control devices (ECDs) manufactured by TASER International, Inc. which have killed and seriously injured many people. Because it is an urgent ongoing fight, the items at the top of the list relate to Taser International, Inc, and its Electronic Control Devices. The first item is an article from the Boston Herald and the verdict form for a $10M verdict against that company in July, 2011, and the second item appeared in California Lawyer, the magazine of the California State Bar, in December, 2008.
- Boston Herald Article -- Teen’s family Wins $10 million TASER Verdict and Verdict Form More information about that case is in this Boston Herald article. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the jury's finding that the death was caused by TASER International negligently failing to warn about the cardiac effects of its products but sent the case back to the trial court for a recalculation of the family's financial damages. The opinion can be read here.
- California Lawyer: Zapping Taser Or click California Lawyer Magazine for article in pdf format
- Verdict for $2.6M for Los Angeles County jail injuries
- Monteil v. City of Los Angeles - Keeping Racial Discrimination Out of Jury Selection
- Santa Cruz Sentinel Reports Taser Settlement (pdf file)
- Taming Over-Detention in Los Angeles Jails
- Streit v. County of Los Angeles - No Immunity for Los Angeles County and its Sheriff's Department
- Slip opinion allowing jail overdetention cases to proceed as class actions
- $2M for Non-fatal Shooting
- Man Sues, Alleging 27 Months' False Imprisonment
- Jury Trial Nears Closing in Deadly Force Case
- Supervisors Pay $27 Million to Settle Strip-Search Class
- Fatal Shooting in Fontana
- Court of Appeal Allows Referee to Sue Commission
- Coach Awarded $4.45 Million
- Environmentalist Settles with FBI
- Ventura Inmates to be Paid for Extra Jail Time
- Brain Damaged Jail Inmate Settles for $3 Million
- The Anatomy of a False Confession (pdf)
- $1.25M for False Murder Charge(pdf)
- Health Dangers of Electrical Control Devices(pdf)
- SFPD Considers Stun Guns(pdf)