He was 19, and Strangled in His Fresno Jail Cell. Lawsuit Blames the Sheriff’s Office

Morrison & Foerster partner Diana B. Kruze spoke to the Fresno Bee during a press conference that the firm held on September 20, 2018, to announce a federal lawsuit it filed that morning against Fresno County and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The lawsuit was filed pro bono on behalf of the parents of Lorenzo Herrera over his murder in the Fresno County Jail in March 2018.

In the Fresno Bee’s article “He was 19, and strangled in his Fresno jail cell. Lawsuit blames the Sheriff’s Office,” Ms. Kruze notes that the Sheriff’s Office is violating a 2015 court order to hire 127 correctional officers within three years to curb violence in the jail. “Lorenzo’s death could have been prevented if the Sheriff’s Office had complied with the court decree,” Ms. Kruze said. “Instead, the office has violated it.”