City of Cleveland Settles for $45k in Mehdi Mollahasani lawsuit

The Downtown Cleveland resident was arrested, jailed, and brought to court following a May 31, 2020 confrontation with Cleveland Division of Police officers who harassed him, and baselessly accused him of looting while he was attempting to pick up groceries.

Background

Mehdi Mollahasani, a 38-year-old man of Middle Eastern descent, walked outside on May 31, 2020, to pick up his grocery-store-to-home delivery service order and was arrested by Cleveland Police officers for charges related to the curfew, despite being able to show proof of downtown residency. Mollahasani agreed to meet the delivery driver at a near-by intersection because of road closures.

On May 30, 2020, the City of Cleveland instituted a curfew for the downtown area in an effort to quell protests stemming from the police murder of George Floyd and other police violence. Mollahasani, who is Iranian-Canadian with dual citizenship, did not take part in the day’s protests; he resided in the downtown Cleveland area.  

Mollahasani left his apartment on May 31, 2020, to pick up his grocery delivery. On the street, the defendant Cleveland Division of Police officers confronted Mollahasani, harassed him, and baselessly accused him of looting. 

Mollahasani showed his proof of downtown Cleveland residency along with his New York identification. In spite of proving his legal presence in the area, and his compliance with every order of the officers, Cleveland Division of Police officers arrested him and caused him to be incarcerated in the Cuyahoga County Jail for days during the novel coronavirus pandemic. He was later charged criminally and forced to defend himself in court. All charges against him were dismissed. 

Mollahasani filed a federal civil rights lawsuit to seek accountability for his unconstitutional arrest, detention, and prosecution.

Approach & Resolution

Mollahasani was represented by Terry Gilbert and attorneys at Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein, as well as Eric Long of Friedman and Nemecek. 

The lawsuit was settled out of court, with attorneys and the city jointly notifying U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Parker.

 
 
VictoriesFG+Gcivil rights, Cleveland, Terry Gilbert, Mehdi Mollahasani