Allen v. City of Oakland
| Allen v. City of Oakland | |
|---|---|
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| United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
| Full case name | Delphine Allen et al v. City of Oakland |
| Judge sitting | Thelton Henderson |
| Keywords | |
| 42:1983 Civil Rights Act | |
Delphine Allen et al. v. City of Oakland (or the Riders Case or Riders Scandal) is an ongoing civil rights lawsuit in Federal District Court regarding police misconduct in Oakland, California. Plaintiffs alleged mistreatment at the hands of four veteran officers, known as the "Riders", who were alleged to have kidnapped, planted evidence, and beaten citizens. Plaintiffs also alleged that the Oakland Police Department (OPD) turned a blind eye to police misconduct.
The plaintiffs were represented by the Law Offices of John Burris and the Law Offices of James B. Chanin. Ms. Julie Houk, Mr. Chanin’s associate, also played a major role in the litigation that has lasted for nearly fourteen years.
In 2003, the parties entered into a settlement. Part of that settlement saw a $10.9 million payout to the 119 plaintiffs. Additionally, the Oakland Police Department was required to comply with a series of reforms. An independent monitoring team was appointed by the court to ensure the police complied with the settlement. As of January 24, 2012, the city has yet to fully comply with the terms of that settlement.
"The Riders" refer to four officers in the Oakland Police Department. The Washington Post described them:
"At the high point of their careers, the so-called "Riders" were considered the best and the brightest, veterans whom rookie police officers tried to emulate. Their specialty: bringing in reputed drug dealers in record numbers from the crime-plagued streets of West Oakland.
The alleged abuses came to light after a rookie officer, just 10 days on the job and fresh out of the police academy, resigned and reported his former co-workers' activities to the police department's Internal Affairs Division.
A string of incidents of police misconduct by the group of four Oakland PD officers known as "the Oakland Riders" came to light. 119 people pressed civil rights lawsuits for unlawful beatings and detention, ultimately settling for $11 million with an agreement that the Oakland Police Department would implement significant reforms. Although all of the police officers involved were fired, three were later acquitted of criminal charges while one fled, presumably to Mexico, to avoid prosecution.
On 17 December 2000, Delphine Allen filed suit against the city. His case was ultimately consolidated along with other similar civil rights lawsuits against Oakland and its police, including a total of 119 different plaintiffs.
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