Jump to content

Benjamin Crump

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sheena Beene (talk | contribs) at 18:55, 15 June 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Benjamin Crump
File:Benjamin Crump.jpg
Tampa Church Holds Town Hall Meeting On Trayvon Martin Case

}}

Benjamin L. Crump (born October 10, 1969) is a noted American civil rights/personal injury attorney. He is a principal with the Tallahassee law firm, Parks & Crump, LLC. He has received notoriety for being the lead attorney representing the family in the Shooting of Trayvon Martin. He was also the lead attorney who represented the Martin Anderson case, in the Bay County, Florida bootcamp case in 2006 as well as other high profile cases.

Biography

Benjamin Lloyd Crump was born in rural Lumberton, North Carolina. He is the oldest of nine siblings.[1] In high school, his mother sent him to live with his father in Fort Lauderdale, FL where he graduated high school. He graduated Florida State University in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, during this time he also became a member and served as President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, served two-terms as the Black Student Union President, and was a founder and inaugural President of The Florida State University Burning Spear Society. [2]

He earned his Juris Doctorate from Florida State University College of Law in 1995. He is married to Dr. Genae Crump and is the legal guardian of two of his cousins, Marcus Crump and Chancellor Crump [1] .

Parks & Crump located in Tallahassee, FL was founded in 1997, after founders Crump, along with Parks turned down all of their job offers and started their law firm the day they were sworn in as attorneys. They became known for representing extremely difficult cases in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and product liability/pharmaceutical ligation. [3]

In 2002, five years after he open his practice, Attorney Crump was inducted into the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum for having over twenty verdicts and/or settlements of 1 million dollars or more. In 2009, he was inducted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocacy Forum.

Zaniyah Hinson

In 2001, Attorney Crump represented the mother of Zaniyah Hinson, a 2-year old little girl who was left in a sweltering Daycare van for four hours and later died as a result[4]. The case drew national attention when the daycare workers pleaded that the reason Zaniyah was left on the van was because they were understaffed due to a planned move into a new facility that the Pastor order them to finish by days end. The family received a confidential settlement.

Boston Red Sox Case

In 2002, Crump, along with his law partner Daryl Parks, represented the "Winter Haven 7" against the Boston Red Sox years after several different African American boys were sexually molested by Donald Fitzpatrick, a long time Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager while they participated in Spring Training in Winter Haven, FL. The molestation happened over a period of time from 1971 to 1991 [5]. Ultimately, the case settled for $3.5 million dollars, Fitzpatrick took a plea deal serving no jail time, getting a 10-year suspended sentence and 15-years of probation [5] [6].

Melbourne gas explosion case

In 2007, Crump represented Amanda Lewis, whose government-subsidized apartment building exploded and collapsed as she, her boyfriend and her one-year-old daughter were lying in bed. Ms. Lewis was able to escape the gulf of smoke and flames and went for help, while her boyfriend and daughter perished in the subsequent fire.[7] The apartment collapsed due to a leaking gas pipe that exploded after the pipe had been exposed.[8] The Brevard County Housing Authority had received several calls prior to the explosion complaining that tenants smelled gas. [9]. During the course of the lawsuit, 9-1-1 tapes revealed that fire and rescue called to ask several times when was the gas going to be turned off because the gas was fueling the continued blaze more than three hours after the initial explosion, preventing rescue of the victims trapped in the burning building.[10] Crump filed transcriptions from fire rescue/first responders that supported allegations that after the explosion the gas company could have saved the lives of the victims from dying of smoke inhalation (which was the cause of death). But the company choose not to turn off the gas, because it would have required the gas to be turned off for a 5-mile radius. The case settled with a multi-million dollar confidential settlement.

Berkman Plaza Parking Garage Collapse

In 2008, Crump represented the family of Willie Edwards, who was killed and other individuals who were seriously injured after the Berkman Plaza six story parking garage collapsed in Jacksonville, FL. The design was found to have several design flaws the concrete columns were too small, essential reinforcements were not put into place, and air pockets were discovered in the beams [11]. It was discovered that a engineering intern did the inspection of the garage, shortly before its collapse [12]. An arbitration panel ruled that Berkman was legally responsible for the errors involved in the collapse of the garage [13]. The case was resolved after a lawsuit was filed for a multi-million dollar settlement.

Bay Street Residents vs. St. Joe Paper Company

In 2009, Attorney Crump, along with Attorney Tracey Moye, represented eight elderly African American women who sued the St. Joe Company because their houses located in the city of Port St. Joe, FL were sinking into the ground causing them to literally fall apart. Unbeknownst to the women the houses were built on wetlands filled with wood chips and other waste materials from the paper mill owned by the St. Joe paper company, causing the gas and plumbing pipes to break as the houses continued to sink. Therefore, the families were forced to live with no heat, no air, and no hot water for years.[14] All of the families bought the houses in the 1980s, ten years later the women started to notice the houses were sinking, allowing snakes, lizard and spiders to enter through large cracks in the walls [15]. Crump argued that St. Joe, the largest land owner in the state of Florida, intentionally sold the lots that had been filled with waste from the nearby wood plant to only poor black women [14]. The case had been in litigation for more than ten years before Attorney Crump had filed a notice of appearance at Attorney Moye's request. The case was resolved in a confidential settlement after Crump escorted the women to the Corporate headquarters with their sleeping bags. The women argued that it was safer to sleep on the office building floor than to sleep in their sinking homes.

Martin Lee Anderson

In 2006, Attorney Crump represented the parents in the Martin Anderson case. The 14 year old boy died after he was restrained, beaten and suffocated at a Bay County juvenile boot camp. Anderson had been sent to the boot camp in Panama City after violating probation for taking his grandmother's sports utility vehicle on a joyride with his four cousins. On his first day at the boot camp, he fell during a 1.5 mile run, according to investigative documents. The guards forced him to get up and he allegedly resisted, and they subdued him with blows from their hands and knees [16]. Anderson claimed he could not breathe and the guards forced ammonia capsules under and in his nose [16]. Within a week afterwards, Bay County medical examiner filed an autopsy report attributing Anderson's death to a blood disorder know as Sickle Cell Trait. It was soon discovered that Anderson's beating was captured on security surveillance tape [17]. Subsequently, family Attorney Ben Crump, along with CNN and The Miami Herald sued to have the tapes released. After the tapes were release and national outrage ensued, Attorney Crump advocated for the body of Anderson to be exhumed after the questionable autopsy was performed a month earlier [18]. Dr. Michael Baden was retained by the NAACP and Parks & Crump law firm to perform a second autopsy, where he concluded along with Dr. Vernard Adams of the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office, that Anderson's death was casued by suffocation due to occlusion of the mouth and inhalation of ammonia fumes [19].

On July 12, 2006, the Anderson family filed a 40 million dollar lawsuit against the State of Florida, Department of Juvenile Justice and the Bay County Sheriffs office in Federal Court [20]. As the family was demanding criminal charges to be filed, Attorney Crump filed the civil lawsuit after waiting more than six months with no indication if criminal charges would ever be filed. It had already been discovered and criticized that there were close ties between Bay Count Sheriff Frank McKeithen and former Bay County Sheriff Guy Tunnell, then the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement [20]. Tunnell and McKeithen traded emails about the case, even though FDLE was investigating the death of Anderson. Tunnell eventually resigned[20]. On April 6, 2007 Attorney Crump along with his partner Attorney Daryl Parks, presented evidence and testimony before a Legislative joint subcommittee, requesting that the State pay a monetary civil award to the family of Martin Lee Anderson for his death[20]. Deputy Secretary Richard Davidson supported the claim bill, which was first proposed by then Governor Charlie Crist. Senate lawyer David Vial asked pointed questions trying to establish whether the Department of Juvenile Justice had direct authority over the actions of the guards in Panama City [20]. Attorney Crump brought to the hearing poster size pictures from the video, and a picture of Anderson in an open casket. He also played audio of former Governor Jeb Bush, condemning the events[20]. A law enforcement expert , William T. Gaut testified, "Everyone it seemed had to get in on it, and once that happens, that's intentional. Theres no question it's intentional."[20] Video monitors replayed the last minutes of Martin Lee Anderson's life throughout the day; a half dozen guards and the nurse surrounding the limp teenagers body, punching his arms, kneeing his back, and administering ammonia tablets into his nose. In the end, Martin Lee Anderson laid unconscious in the dirt.

The family ultimately recovered a multi-million dollar settlement in the form of a claims bill, which is documented as the largest amount ever paid by the State of Florida in an individual wrongful death case. [21].

The guards involved in the beating and death, as well as the nurse were charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, and if convicted the seven guards and nurse could have faced up to thirty years in prison [22] [23]. The Anderson family repeatedly sat through the painful video as it played during testimony, throughout the course of the criminal trial [22]. They had long sought a trial, claiming the local officials tried to cover up their sons death [22]. The all white jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes and acquitted all seven of the guards and the nurse of manslaughter of the 14 year old boy, who was videotaped being punched and kicked before he died [22]. Anger over the verdict was obvious and widespread. Afterwards, Crump was quoted saying, "You kill a dog, you go to jail. You kill a little black boy and nothing happens." [24] Anderson's case was also documented in a 2012 documentary film titled "Beating Justice: The Martin Lee Anderson Story." The film tells the story of the Anderson case, from the beating death of Martin Lee Anderson to the trial of the guards, interviewing several members connected to the case, including Crump.

The Martin Lee Anderson case led to changes in the juvenile justice system in Florida. All of the juvenile boot camps throughout Florida were closed in what became known as the Martin Lee Anderson act, signed into law on June 1, 2006 [25].

Trayvon Martin

On February 26, 2012 Trayvon Martin was shot and killed after returning from 7-Eleven convenience store. Martin, a 17 year old African American was walking home in the rain with his hood up, when George Zimmerman, a 28 year old neighborhood multi-racial Hispanic watch captain, began to follow him [26]. Zimmerman, who had contacted 911 was told that he did not need to follow Trayvon but did anyways [27]. A confrontation ensued with Martin, who was unarmed, and ended with Martin being shot dead in the chest. It took several weeks from the February 26th shooting to draw national attention, after the Attorney Crump launched a campaign to draw in civil rights activist, like Reverend Al Sharpton and national media. Two days after the shooting, Attorney Crump started getting calls about the case. When Attorney Crump heard Trayvon Martin was unarmed, he assumed the Sanford police department would make an arrest [28]. Attorney Crump initially told Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father and the Attorneys who approached him about the case to wait a couple of days, that they did not need him, that they [the police] were going to arrest Zimmerman [28]. When there was no arrest, Crump and the family held news conferences to tell their side of the story. Crump then filed a civil lawsuit for the release of the 911 tapes. The 911 tapes were released on March 16, 2012 and detailed the moments of terror as residents placed several 911 calling describing someone yelling for help [29]. The words, "Help, Help!" can be heard in the background of several 911 calls [29]. One 911 caller described a vivid picture, stating, "There were gunshots right outside my house. There's someone screaming, I just heard a guy shot," a neighbor says. "Hurry up, they are right outside my house" [29]. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's Mother proclaimed that it was her son screaming, crying out for help before he was shot. After the releases of the 911 tapes, calls of racial motivations and police misconduct triggered even more public outcry and demands for Zimmerman's arrest. [30].

Days later, Attorney Crump revealed that Trayvon Martin's cell phone records showed that moments before Trayvon Martin was killed, he was on the phone with his girlfriend. The cell phone records showed that the conservation was initiated five minutes before police arrived on seen and found Trayvon dead from a gun shot wound to the chest [31]. Attorney Crump, was quoted saying, " the girl heard someone ask Martin what he was doing and Martin asking why the person was following him. The girl gets the impression that there is an altercation, during which the earpiece falls from Martin's ear and the connection goes dead" [32]. Crump argues that this along with the 911 tapes provides evidence that Zimmerman's version of what happened is a fabrication.

Protestors rallied in protest organized all over the country and world in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Sanford, and Miami in "Million Hoodie Marches" in support of Trayvon Martin and the arrest of George Zimmerman [33][34][35]. Forty-four days after Trayvon's death, special prosecutor Angela Corey, who was appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott, filed 2nd degree murder charges against Zimmerman [36]. Zimmerman arrested and then was released nine days later on bail ($150,000) on April 20, 2012 and pleaded not guilty to second degree murder charges [37].

Philanthropy

In 2008, Parks & Crump donated 1 million dollars to the Legal Services of North Florida [2]. Both Crump & Parks sponsor minority scholarship endowments at Florida A&M University, Florida State Univserity Law school, and Bethune Cookman University [2].

Filmography/Audio Discography

  • Beating Justice: The Martin Lee Anderson Story
  • I am Trayvon Martin: A Family's Fight for Justice [38]
  • Shoot First: The Tragedy of Trayvon Martin [39]
  • "How Lawyer Got Nation Talking About Trayvon Martin" [40]

Memberships

  • American Association of Justice
  • American Bar Association
  • American Board of Trial Lawyers
  • American Inns of Court
  • Boy Scouts of America, North Florida Council
  • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
  • The Free and Accepted Masons
  • Citizens' Commission for Civil Rights
  • National Black Alumni Association for Florida State University
  • National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse
  • The Federal Bar Association
  • The Florida Justice Association
  • Florida Committee to Prevent Child Abuse
  • Legal Services of North Florida
  • Mad Dads, INC.
  • National Association for the Advancement of Color People
  • National Bar Association
  • The North Florida Center for Equal Justice, INC
  • Southern Christian Leadership Conference
  • The Sickle Cell Foundation, INC
  • Tallahassee Boys Choir
  • Tallahassee Airport Authority
  • Tallahassee Barristers Association
  • Tallahassee Marine Institute Board
  • The Urban League
  • Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of NBA
  • Florida's Big Bend Fair Housing Center, INC.
  • The Southern Christian Leadership Conference

References

  1. ^ a b [1][dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b c "Benjamin L. Crump – Parks and Crump Attorneys at Law". Parkscrump.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  3. ^ "Parks and Crump Attorneys at Law". Parkscrump.com. 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  4. ^ Bay, Ann. "Articles about Abundant Life by Date - Page 2 - Orlando Sentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  5. ^ a b "Donald Fitzpatrick Sex Scandal: Former Boston Red Sox Clubhouse Manager Preyed On Boys Decades Ago". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  6. ^ "Red Sox clubhouse sex abuse scandal grows - MLB - Sporting News". Aol.sportingnews.com. 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  7. ^ "Printer-friendly article page". Newscontest.flatoday.net. 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  8. ^ "Stolen Dryer Found In Apartment Where Two Died In Explosion". www.wftv.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  9. ^ "One year after blast, Melbourne victims' family still seeks answers - Orlando Sentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  10. ^ "Dryer theft may be key to fatal blast, cops say - Orlando Sentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. 2007-04-13. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  11. ^ http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-12-05/story/berkman_plaza_2_years_later_a_trail_and_tale_of_fatal_errors
  12. ^ Steve Patterson. "Intern did inspections on doomed Berkman Plaza 2 garage". jacksonville.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  13. ^ "Berkman Ruled Responsible For Garage Collapse | News - Home". News4jax.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  14. ^ a b http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20080706/NEWS01/105280001/1010
  15. ^ "Port St. Joe Residents Demand Justice At Annual St. Joe Company Stockholder Meeting | Consumer Federation Of The Southeast". Consumerfederationse.com. 2009-05-12. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  16. ^ a b "The Law Office of Tragos & Sartes". Greeklaw.com. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  17. ^ "Martin Anderson - Video Dailymotion". Dailymotion.com. 2007-03-15. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  18. ^ Weiner, Jeff (2012-04-06). "Trayvon Martin and Benjamin Crump: Controversy, racial strife familiar for attorney Benjamin Crump - Orlando Sentinel". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  19. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/bootcamp-statement.pdf
  20. ^ a b c d e f g "Family gets $2.4M in boot camp death". Sptimes.com. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  21. ^ [2][dead link‍]
  22. ^ a b c d http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/1100127/guards_acquitted_in_boot_camp_case/
  23. ^ http://www.newsherald.com/news/martin-68784-lee-anderson.html
  24. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-12-bootcamp-death_N.htm
  25. ^ http://caica.org/NEWS%20DEATHS%20MARTIN%20Anderson%20signed%20into%20law.htm
  26. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/who-is-george-zimmerman/2012/03/22/gIQAkXdbUS_story.html
  27. ^ http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/20120403facts_vs_rumors_in_the_trayvon_martin_saga/srvc=home&position=recent
  28. ^ a b http://www.wltx.com/news/national/article/185261/142/Trayvon-Martins-Family-Attorney-Gains-Spotlight
  29. ^ a b c http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/usworld/article/247747/6/911-Tapes-Released-in-Shooting-of-Florida-Teen
  30. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-rallies-idUSBRE82O00Z20120325
  31. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-arrest-now-abc-reveals-crucial-phone/story?id=15959017#.T5d_u-33B1M
  32. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/justice/florida-zimmerman-timeline/index.html
  33. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tanya-young-williams/trayvon-martin-trial_b_1408650.html
  34. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/31/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-us-embassy_n_1393461.html
  35. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/30/2723783_p2/world-is-watching-protests-over.html
  36. ^ http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/11/prosecutor-to-announce-decision-on-zimmerman/
  37. ^ http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-zimmerman-not-guilty-plea-20120424,0,1722270.story
  38. ^ http://www.bet.com/video/newsbriefs/betnewsspecial/i-am-trayvon-special-full-show.html
  39. ^ http://www.bet.com/video/newsbriefs/betnewsspecial/shoot-first-trayvon-martin-tragedy.html
  40. ^ http://www.npr.org/2012/04/05/150068233/how-lawyer-got-nation-talking-about-trayvon-martin
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Benjamin_Crump&oldid=497757349"