# Civil Rights Attorney Referrals — §1983 Police Misconduct

## Piedmont Triad (Kernersville / Winston-Salem / Greensboro)

| Firm | Phone | Website | Notes |
|------|-------|---------|-------|
| **James Scott Farrin** | 1-866-900-7078 | farrin.com | Multiple Triad offices, contingency, strong §1983 record |
| **Patterson Harkavy LLP** (Greensboro) | 1-800-458-2541 | pathlaw.com | Multi-million dollar civil rights settlements in NC |
| **Morrow Vermitsky Costello** (Winston-Salem) | 336-760-1400 | mvclawgroup.com | Local §1983, notable settlements |
| **Grace, Tisdale & Clifton** (Winston-Salem) | 336-515-6552 | nc-criminal-lawyers.com | Local police brutality / §1983 |
| **ACLU of North Carolina** | — | acluofnorthcarolina.org | Referrals to top civil rights attorneys |

## Case Summary for Outreach

**Subject:** §1983 Unlawful Search Case — Kernersville (April 2026)

Self-employed web developer/DevOps engineer at $47/hr x 40 hrs/week.
Kernersville PD executed search warrant for alleged living-room incident.
Warrant limited to assault items. Officers searched entire home including
locked black box, seized ~1 lb marijuana for personal medical use.

**Violations:**
- 4th Amendment particularity and scope (Groh v. Ramirez)
- Consent through deception ("not in trouble" / "not being arrested")
- Malicious prosecution (victim exonerated before charges filed)

**Outcome:** All 4 felonies DISMISSED. Misdemeanor via GS 90-96.
**Damages:** $200,000 — $450,000+ range including business losses.
**Evidence:** Ring videos, 1,959 medical records, court documents, KPD
pattern (5 incidents / 14 years).

## Questions to Ask in Consultation

1. Experience with §1983 warrant particularity/scope cases specifically?
2. Experience with Monell / municipal liability claims?
3. What is your assessment of the warrant affidavit issues?
4. Have you dealt with KPD before in civil rights litigation?
5. What is the timeline for filing (statute of limitations analysis)?
6. Would discovery (bodycam, IA records, training docs) be sought?
7. Fee structure: contingency? What percentage?
8. What is the realistic settlement range vs. trial range?