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The Norton Law Firm Secures Ninth Circuit Victory in Wrongful Conviction Civil Rights Case
The Norton Law Firm represents Joaquin Ciria in a federal civil rights lawsuit arising from his wrongful conviction for a 1990 San Francisco murder. Ciria, who spent 32 years in prison while maintaining his innocence, was exonerated and released in April 2022 after the Northern California Innocence Project successfully obtained habeas relief and secured dismissal of all charges against him.
The lawsuit alleges that former San Francisco Police Department homicide inspectors violated Ciria’s constitutional rights by fabricating evidence and maliciously prosecuting him. According to the complaint, investigators coerced a teenage witness into falsely identifying Ciria as the shooter by threatening him with prosecution for murder and offering immunity in exchange for his cooperation. That statement became the sole basis for Ciria’s arrest and conviction. The lawsuit further alleges there was no physical evidence or credible eyewitness testimony linking Ciria to the crime.
In a significant ruling issued on June 5, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a decision of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California denying qualified immunity to former San Francisco Police Department Inspectors James Crowley and Arthur Gerrans. In Ciria v. Gerrans, No. 24-3308 (9th Cir. June 5, 2026), the court held that a reasonable jury could find the defendants deliberately fabricated evidence and lacked probable cause to arrest and prosecute Ciria. The Ninth Circuit further concluded that the constitutional rights at issue were clearly established at the time of the investigation, allowing Ciria’s fabrication-of-evidence and malicious prosecution claims to proceed toward trial.
George C. Harris and James Bennett, partners at The Norton Law Firm, serve as co-lead counsel for Ciria. Harris handled the appeal and argued the case before the Ninth Circuit, securing the favorable ruling.
“This decision is an important step toward obtaining justice for Mr. Ciria, who suffered more than thirty years of wrongful imprisonment,” Harris said. “The Ninth Circuit recognized that law enforcement officers cannot manufacture evidence with coercive interrogation and then avoid accountability through qualified immunity. We look forward to presenting Mr. Ciria’s claims to a jury.”
“Mr. Ciria lost more than three decades of his life because of conduct that a jury may now evaluate in full,” Bennett said. “This ruling ensures that his claims will be heard and that those responsible can be held accountable. We are prepared to continue pursuing justice on his behalf as the case moves toward trial.”
The case will now return to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California for further proceedings. Bennett is expected to lead the trial team if the matter proceeds to trial. Ciria seeks damages for wrongful imprisonment and related civil rights violations, with claimed damages potentially exceeding $30 million.