In 2016, Baltimore County Police Officer Royce Ruby shot and killed 23-year old Korryn Gaines, a Black woman, and in the process also critically wounded her son, five-year old Kodi Gaines. Young Kodi was left without a mother and with searing memories of that deadly day. What led up to this unacceptable tragedy was a minor traffic violation.
 
The jury determined that Officer Ruby acted unreasonably when he killed Korryn and injured her son, awarding Kodi $34 million in damages to try to compensate for his irreparable loss. However, Judge Mickey Norman has repeatedly attempted to swap the jury’s decision with his own, pro-police view, disregarding the constitutional rights of Korryn and Kodi.

In defense of their rights and the broader constitutional issue, the ACLU of Maryland has filed two amicus briefs in the Corey Cunningham, on Behalf of Kodi Gaines, a Minor v. Baltimore County case.
 
#BlackLivesMatter

Attorney(s)

Deborah Jeon, David Rocah from the ACLU of Maryland; Attorneys from Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; and Partners Theodore A. Howard and Lukman Azeez, and associates Boyd Garriott and Kahlil H. Epps from Wiley Rein.

Status

Active