Eric Dubin

Irvine • Civil Rights & Wrongful Death

Eric Dubin specializes in civil rights and wrongful death cases. Recognized as a 2023 Daily Journal Top 100 lawyer in California, he obtained a $24 million settlement for the family of a man who died when California Highway Patrol officers compressed his neck during an arrest, not unlike the circumstances of the George Floyd case in Minnesota. IM V. State of CA, I.M. et al. v. State of California et al. (C.D. Cal., filed Dec. 9, 2020).

The victim was Edward Bronstein, who was killed by California Highway Patrol officers during a routine DUI blood test.

"The record-setting $24 million civil rights settlement with CHP ... will hopefully open the door wide open for other lawyers whose clients have been subjected to racial or police injustice. The optimistic hope is the days of denials and swaying jurors with uniforms and badges are in the past, and each case will be looked at fairly with justice in mind. Imagine that," said Dubin.

This case is pivotal as it challenges the previously unbreakable credibility of law enforcement in civil cases and sets a precedent for addressing racial and police injustices.

"I see a trend in reasonableness and possibly more fairness in the way the State of California approaches settlement," Dubin said. "I am very proud to have been a part of that."

In another case, Dubin and attorney Annee Della Donna successfully proved clients Juan Rayford and Dupree Glass factually innocent of attempted murder after spending 17 years in prison. People of the State of California v. Rayford and Glass, MA028053 (L.A. Super. Ct., op. filed Apr. 29, 2023).

In 2020, a state appellate panel vacated the convictions and freed them before the Legislature amended the Penal Code to permit factual innocence proceedings in 2022. This was the first verdict in California's history finding actual innocence, securing about a million dollars each for Rayford and Glass.

Notably, Dubin worked pro-bono on this seven-month trial, bearing the costs out-of-pocket and ensuring the clients received the entire award. The case garnered worldwide attention and set a precedent for future Civil Rights violation cases.

In addition to his legal work, Dubin is an author, having written two books: one with Larry King titled "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" and "The Star Chamber," which explores his experiences winning high-profile trials, including a $30 million jury verdict against Robert Blake. He is also the co-CEO of the OC Innocence Project in Orange County, in collaboration with the UCI Law School, and frequently sponsors charitable events through the OCBA.