HBO recently launched “We Own This City,” a new miniseries based on former Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book of the same name. The miniseries chronicles the rise and fall of the infamous Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force (“GTTF”). The show depicts the traumatic experiences of Brown, Goldstein & Levy clients, Umar Burley and Brent Matthews.
As portrayed in “We Own This City,” Mr. Burley and Mr. Matthews were wrongfully imprisoned for a combined 11 years after plainclothes officers of the Baltimore Police Department (some of whom later joined the GTTF) planted heroin in their car. BGL’s Andy Freeman, Chelsea Crawford, and Neel Lalchandani and a team of attorneys from Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White represented the two men in court, obtaining close to $8 million – one of the largest settlements in Maryland history related to police misconduct.
In addition to Mr. Burley’s and Mr. Matthews’ case, BGL has obtained substantial sums for numerous clients who were wrongfully convicted or the victims of police misconduct. We doggedly investigate misconduct by the police, often by securing records and interviewing witnesses from cases that are decades old. Our attorneys have traveled across the country to track down witnesses to build the best possible case for our clients. Our determination pays off. Brown, Goldstein & Levy has obtained millions of dollars for clients and the families of those who have suffered misconduct at the hands of police officers and sheriffs, including assault and death.
Read more about our robust wrongful convictions and police misconduct practice here.
PLEASE FIND NEWS COVERAGE BELOW
“Jon Bernthal channels former Baltimore police sergeant as HBO’s ‘We Own This City’ re-creates rise and fall of GTTF” | The Baltimore Sun | April 25, 2022
“’The Wire’ merges with Baltimore policing’s reality in ‘We Own This City‘” | CNN | April 25, 2022
“We Own This City review: A shocking police corruption tale” | BBC | April 25, 2022
“The limited series, ‘We Own This City,’ is about to debut on HBO” | NPR | April 25, 2022
“‘We Own This City’ Star Jamie Hector Talks ‘Well-Documented’ Corruption Within Baltimore Police Department” | Variety | April 25, 2022
“HBO’s ‘We Own This City’ is not Season 6 of ‘The Wire’” | The Washington Post | April 22, 2022