Plaintiff Valentin Spataru has filed claims against Sheriff Rick Ramsay of the Sheriff Department of Monroe County, several deputies of the Sheriff Department of Monroe County, and other government officials. Spataru alleges violations of certain constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and certain statutory rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act following his allegedly unconstitutional arrest and detainment in August of 2015. This case has been referred to Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra for trial. If interested, please email FLSD_ProBono@flsd.uscourts.gov.
You are here
Available Cases
Pro se Plaintiff, Elvis Chavers, filed this action seeking review of an unfavorable decision on his disability insurance benefits claim by the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The complaint was filed August 9, 2019, and Plaintiff has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Defendant has not yet filed a response to the Complaint. If interested, please email reinhart@flsd.uscourts.gov.
In this section 1983 action, Plaintiff, Norberto Iglesias, alleges numerous Defendants employed by the Florida Department of Corrections and Inspector General’s Office violated his Eighth Amendment rights. Plaintiff additionally asserts state law claims of gross negligence and civil RICO. Plaintiff states he witnessed, on multiple occasions, certain Defendants sell firearms, ammunition, TEXTER C-4, and GPS cellular telephones to the inmates at Everglades Correctional Institution. Plaintiff claims he made several formal and informal requests to other Defendants regarding this matter but never received a response. Plaintiff alleges he was the victim of retaliation by another inmate who was hired to attack and kill him. During the attack, Plaintiff was stabbed 19 times and sustained life-threatening injuries. Plaintiff is now blind in his left eye. Plaintiff maintains the Defendants were aware of these illegal activities and deliberately refused to act or protect him from harm. Plaintiff is now seeking $2,000,000 in compensatory and punitive damages. Plaintiff’s claims have survived Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, and discovery is ongoing. Plaintiff is required to file his Pre-Trial Statement by September 19, 2019.
If interested, please email FLSD_ProBono@flsd.uscourts.gov
Plaintiff alleges that she was denied Social Security benefits (Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits) even though she presented medical evidence of her disability to support her claim of being unable to work. Plaintiff has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. If interested, please email FLSD_ProBono@flsd.uscourts.gov
Pro se Plaintiffs allege that Defendants, a homeowners association and related individuals, violated Plaintiffs' rights under the First Amendment in relation to a dispute over yard signs, trespassed on Plaintiffs' property, filed a false police report against Plaintiff Edward Schulsinger, and engaged in disability-based discrimination against Plaintiff Doris Schulsinger. The case is still in the earliest stages of litigation, as there is no indication that the Defendants have yet been served. If you are interested in representing Plaintiffs, please email altman@flsd.uscourts.gov.
Plaintiff has filed two actions which the Court has now consolidated. In the first, Plaintiff has sued multiple Defendants alleging he was discriminated against based on a perceived disability when he applied to various medical schools. In the second, Plaintiff brings claims against the University of Miami, alleging retaliatory discharge following his filing of the initial action. If interested, please email gayles@flsd.uscourts.gov.
Pro Se Plaintiff brings various false imprisonment and related claims against the Homestead Police Department, Charter Schools USA, Inc., and others. Plaintiff alleges that he was improperly arrested and detained during an incident on September 23, 2016 at Keys Gate Charter School. Defendants have filed a Joint Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim that is currently pending, and discovery is ongoing. At Plaintiff’s request, a mediator has been appointed by the court. If interested, please email FLSD_ProBono@flsd.uscourts.gov
The first set of claims relate to Excessive Force used by five jail employees. They are identified as Sergeant Quest, Deputy Maynes, Deputy Anda, Deputy Green, and Deputy Powell. According to Plaintiff, these five defendants beat him in his cell despite his compliance with orders. Plaintiff alleged that he was punched, stomped on, dragged to the floor, and hit multiple times. Plaintiff further alleged that one of the defendants, specifically Sergeant Quest, ordered the beating in his cell.
The second set of claims are for Failure to Intervene against the previously mentioned jail employees. This claim alleges that those five defendants, who applied force in Plaintiff’s cell, failed to take reasonable steps to protect him from excessive force by instead participating in the beating.
Plaintiff raised a claim of Retaliation against Sergeant Quest. According to Plaintiff, Sergeant Quest relocated him to a windowless cell because Plaintiff filed a grievance and requested medical attention after being beaten. Plaintiff alleged that Sergeant Quest “intercepted” the attempt at grieving or seeking medical attention. Replacement was ordered, as Plaintiff alleges, to prevent officials from seeing or documenting Plaintiff’s injuries. At the pleading stage, this Court drew an inference that placement in a windowless cell may have been ordered as an attempt to hinder Plaintiff’s ability to substantiate legal claims.While relocated, the replacement allegedly prevented Plaintiff from receiving medical treatment for fifteen days.
As to his final claim, Plaintiff raised a claim of deliberate indifference to serious medical needs against Nurse Henri. According to these allegations, Nurse Henri failed to provide emergency medical services and failed to provide treatment after the beating. The allegations also state that Nurse Henri did not write an event report after the beating. As injuries, Plaintiff states that he endured a concussion, broken ribs, and cuts, bleeding, and swelling to his head and face. Plaintiff adds that he now suffers from blurred vision, headaches, and panic attacks that range in their severity. If interested, please email FLSD_ProBono@flsd.uscourts.gov
Plaintiff asserts claims of employment discrimination and retaliation against Defendant, his former employer, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He alleges that he was subjected to systemic racial discrimination and harassment by his former manager and was denied growth opportunities by the company. Plaintiff claims that he made several complaints to the Human Resources Department about his former manager, but that no corrective action was taken. He also alleges that he was terminated six days after making a complaint to the Human Resources Department about his former manager, and that Defendant provided no explanation for the termination. If interested, please email otazo-reyes@flsd.uscourts.gov
Mr. Naranjo, a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, brings a claim against the United States pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleging he was misdiagnosed and mistreated by the Miami VA Healthcare System and the VA Boston Healthcare System. Mr. Naranjo alleges his mistreatment at the VA hospitals caused him permanent nerve damage and PTSD. The Government has yet to be served. Mr. Naranjo has requested counsel to represent him in this case. If interested, please contact: altonaga@flsd.uscourts.gov.