Miller Nash is proud to participate in the representation of pro se litigants defending civil rights and liberties through the U.S. District Court of Oregon’s pro bono program.
This year, Michael Porter, April Fredrickson, Jessica Bernardini, Faustina Ash, and other Miller Nash attorneys, paralegals, and staff provided pro bono legal representation to an adult in custody who experienced alleged mistreatment while incarcerated at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. In May 2018, the individual was forcefully extracted from his cell which he believed constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. He filed a lawsuit against six correctional officers—initially navigating the complex litigation process on his own as pro se. In late November 2018, with a trial date looming and no discovery completed, the Miller Nash team was appointed by the court and volunteered to take the case to trial. Our team immediately moved to reopen discovery, allowing the client to build a record that included incident reports, video footage of the cell extraction, and inconsistent explanations about why the extraction occurred. The defendants argued that the extraction was necessary.
While our Miller Nash team worked diligently to present a strong and compassionate case, the jury ultimately concluded that the high constitutional standard—a showing that “defendants acted maliciously and sadistically for the purpose of causing harm and not in a good faith effort to maintain or restore discipline”—had not been met. Though the outcome was not in our client’s favor, our team was proud to provide access to justice, ensuring our client had the opportunity to fully present his claims in court.
In addition to Miller Nash’s representation of pro bono clients through other appointments from the court, this case serves as a strong example of the firm’s continuing commitment to pro bono service and the protection of fundamental civil rights.
Visit our Pro Bono page to learn more about Miller Nash's commitment to serving our communities through pro bono work.