“We changed the law. Today was a good day for justice!” 

– John Carpenter

Attorneys John C. Carpenter and Carlos A. Hernandez, together with Plaintiff Jovanna Silva, revealed a groundbreaking $950,000 settlement obtained from the City of El Monte after undercover police unlawfully stormed the transgender Latina woman’s home, brutally beat and arrested her, and later ordered her eviction.

The attorneys announced the settlement at a city council meeting on March 7, 2023. It included a historic consent decree to prevent people from being evicted from their homes as part of a law enforcement effort without first being afforded due process of law.