In May 2025, Diana R. Brocco and Vinnie Sorrentino secured a summary-judgment dismissal on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Corrections. The case arose from an altercation between an inmate and correction officer inside a state penitentiary. After his release, the inmate filed a civil rights lawsuit against the officer and other state officials, contending that they violated his Eighth Amendment Right against cruel and unusual punishment. Through witness statements, deposition testimony, and surveillance footage, Diana and Vinnie established that the officer’s use of force was not excessive but necessary to restore institutional order and protect himself against the inmate’s violence. Diana and Vinnie also demonstrated, through persuasive legal analysis, that the inmate’s federal claims were barred under the doctrines of administrative exhaustion and qualified immunity.
For more information about the case, please contact Diana Brocco or Vinnie Sorrentino.
K/M wins summary judgment in Passaic County Premises-Liability Case
In April 2025, Diana R. Brocco and Vinnie Sorrentino secured a summary-judgment dismissal for a large metropolitan property-management company. The claimant alleged that he slipped on a wet substance and fell down an interior staircase at K/M’s client’s residential commercial property. Through aggressive, exacting discovery tactics, Diana and Vinnie revealed that the claimant was severely intoxicated on the date of loss, which was a contributing factor to the fall. In addition, Diana and Vinnie argued that (1) there was insufficient evidence that a dangerous condition existed on the premises and (2) the client lacked any notice of any such condition. After lengthy oral argument, the Court agreed and dismissed all claims against K/M’s client with prejudice.
For more information about the case, please contact Diana Brocco or Vinnie Sorrentino.