Attorney Michael James Reed's Legal Cases

Personal injury

King v Jacobs

Dec 22, 2014

OUTCOME: Settled without suit with limited release so that client could pursue private criminal complaint

MVA involving 24 year old with his parents' new M3. Reckless speeding around tight curve on country road to impress his female passenger. Crosses center line as slowly moving oncoming vehicle driven by ... recently retired couple watches in horror. M3 totals clients' car and sends wife to hospital for five days with impact trauma and broken ribs, all which healed. Driver is not prosecuted for crimes of recklessly endangering another and is issued $100 ticket. Client refuses all offers of settlement which do not include punitive damages.

Civil rights

Farvardin v. Cmnsr Pa State Police et al

Dec 15, 2014

OUTCOME: The Troopers paid to avoid trial. The Commisssioner would not admit institutional failures and lost at trial

We sued three Troopers and the Commissioner of the State Police for assault, arrest on fabricated charges for purposes of cover up, and unconstitutional practices and procedures needing comprehensive ... repair. Their own IAD reported no cause for concern after inserting its own exonerating narrative into the report. Neither the local prosecutor nor the AG nor the PSP internally made any effort to address the failures by sanction or re-education or even a note in the file. The bloodied face of the 64 year old doctor of engineering on a water resources project in Chester County at 11:00 am who was not suspected of any connection to a crime but was suspected of being a middle eastern person told the story of an innocent person singled out for abuse. This part of it was not within the IAD report which narrated falsely "small cut on nose." See the car cam at "Reed PSP beatdown"

Personal injury

Gregor v Old Maple Inn

Oct 15, 2014

OUTCOME: Settled before trial with non disclosure agreement

Almost 2 years after patron suffered fracture of C-1 and partial paralysis and had still not regained use of right leg and arm so he could return to work as heavy equipment operator , and desperate wit ... h fear for the future he sought legal help. Time was short but his needs were great. We did a full review of the medical record for error treatment, suspected contribution from too aggressive PT but recognized that mistakes are not always negligent. We did determine that the client was not wholly responsible for the collapse at the Bar after 6 hours of steady drinking. The bar took a lot of money from a drunk man. He stood up to leave and passed out. If he had not, he would have exited into his truck and drove away. He did not injure another that day. He injured himself. We sued for Negligence and Dram Shop liability in federal court. The case was made difficult because there was no evidence that the client misbehaved by drunken conduct. He just sat quietly and drank for almost seven hours straight. BAC was .196. We had only negligence because silence is not yet held to be"visible intoxication."

Criminal defense

Commonwealth v Roos

Oct 04, 2012

OUTCOME: Charges dismissed after evidence was supressed

Case nol prossed after arrest for DUI and possession when Court supressed illegally evidence. We viewed a google map of police tracking route and time line and absence of any MVC provision requiring ... rear window of panel truck to be unobscured. Police ultimately said the reason for the vehicle stop was that the plethora of stickers on rear window interfered with visibility and created a dangerous condition. Photo of double rear door panel truck with no rear window was admitted into evidence.

Personal injury

Edinger v. Gateway Apts

N/A

OUTCOME: Settled eight months after hire when video showed inspector tripped on his way to my client.s front door.

Concrete block repair at downspout did not include adequate drainage so that subsurface eroded and block tipped up enough to trip retired Pizza shop owner who landed on her dough spinning wrist. Sparse ... specials and no rehab and no loss of earnings. Pinky tendon stretched and grip impaired. Settled 7 months from the fall after we filed suit, waived answer and permitted the carrier to avoid lawyering up. Client and carrier engaged in mutual respect exercise to a nice end.

Criminal defense

Com v Wilson

N/A

OUTCOME: Not guilty of attempted murder upon doubt of real intent.

Barely legal kid, seen by local cop who wants him arrested, jackrabbits car in a panic as his much older and controlling passenger yells, "get us outta here!" Cop jumps out of the way . Kid charged wit ... h attempted murder etc.

Criminal defense

Com v Tingle

N/A

OUTCOME: Not guilty after remorseful client begged jury to convict him of homicide by vehicle

Grieving, remorseful, guilt ridden client, who refused to post even nominal bail, in the middle of trial, screamed "I'm guilty! Just convict me and get this over with." (Homicide by vehicle crossing c ... enter line ) Court denied defense motion for mistrial and court refused to accept the plea. Cross examination and evidence revealed that borrowed car had failed inspection and had faulty steering and braking parts. We had no expert testimony on causation. And neither did the prosecution. The jury that heard my client beg for punishment acquitted him.

Criminal defense

Com v Young

N/A

OUTCOME: Acquitted after successful appeal gave new trial.

Appealed conviction for murder alleging it was error to not instruct jury that first provoker rule for self defense did not apply where killing occurred in the open field car storage area outside the h ... ome when defendant was confronting a bold thief. This case presaged "stand your ground" by 20 years. The Pa Supreme Court held that the homeowner's privilege to fire first extended to areas outside the home also. New trial ordered. Corrected instruction given. At 2nd trial, jury took 15 minutes to acquit.

Constitutional

Hopkins v Hopkins

N/A

OUTCOME: Settled after Supreme Court reversed dismissal

Wife sued husband for civil assault after Court failed to enforce PFA Orders. Divorce property allocation law would not help her. Her tort case was dismissed on preliminary objections due to law of int ... erspousal immunity which paved our way to the Pa Supreme Court which had been awaiting a test case. This intentional tort case was bundled with a guest passenger MVA case of wife against husband and the Court declared interspousal immunity a violation of the equal access to the courts rule and a violation of equal protection.

Divorce and separation

Orzeck v Orzeck

N/A

OUTCOME: Law of spousal support changed

Court ordered husband to pay wife of 6 weeks alimony pendente lite until divorce decree issued. Wife prolonged the matter, of course. Superior Court denied the appeal because length of marriage was not ... then a listed factor to be evaluated. The equities were horrible but the outcome was in accord with the law as then written. This case caused the law to change to include length of marriage as a factor.

Michael James Reed's Legal Cases (16)

King v Jacobs

Farvardin v. Cmnsr Pa State Police et al

Gregor v Old Maple Inn

Commonwealth v Roos

Edinger v. Gateway Apts

Com v Wilson

Com v Tingle

Com v Young

Hopkins v Hopkins

Orzeck v Orzeck