Records Release Request in Regards to Officer-involved Shooting of Actress Vanessa Marquez made by UCI Law Students
Irvine, Calif., (Dec. 13, 2019) – University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) students in the Civil Rights Litigation Clinic (CRLC) have made a request to the South Pasadena City Council and Police Department for public records to be released in regards to an officer-involved shooting of city resident and former actress Vanessa Marquez. CRLC students will be attending the South Pasadena City Council meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. to urge city council members to release all relevant documents under the California Public Records Act.
About Marquez and the Case
Marquez, who had roles in television shows like “ER” and “Stand and Deliver,” died in a shooting that occurred on Aug. 30, 2018 at her apartment. Students in CRLC note that although little information has been released on the shooting, public records indicate that officers were responding to a wellness check, as she allegedly suffered from a number of diseases, on Marquez before shots were fired that led to her death.
Documentary filmmakers are now producing a film about Marquez's life and the events leading to her death. CRLC is assisting the filmmakers seek a records release from the South Pasadena City Council, South Pasadena Police Department, and Los Angeles Coroner's Office. The city has yet to release the officers' names involved in the shooting although according to CRLC they are required to do so by law.
In August 2019, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirmed that South Pasadena police officers were wearing body cameras, and that they were in fact recording during the officer-involved shooting. Students in the clinic are therefore seeking any and all documents related to the shooting to be released, including any video and audio evidence (including body cam footage), investigative reports and findings, autopsy findings, etc.
More about Civil Rights Litigation Clinic
The Civil Rights Litigation Clinic focuses on teaching the basic skills needed to be a civil rights lawyer. Students are involved in the litigation of pending cases involving a range of substantive issues under federal and California civil rights law. Paul Hoffman, Adjunct Clinical Professor at UCI Law, is the Director of CRLC.
Efforts are made to have students handle court hearings, depositions and other litigation events. They use the cases and weekly class sessions to teach the substance of civil rights law focusing on constitutional claims brought under 42 U.S.C. §1983 and similar California statutes.
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a visionary law school and provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to diversity within the legal profession. UCI Law students have completed more than 90,000 hours of pro bono work in the past decade. Forty-five percent of UCI Law’s graduates are students of color. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, engaged alumni, and enthusiastic supporters. More information on UCI Law is available here. Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ucilaw and SnapChat: ucilaw.
Media Contacts:
Mojgan Sherkat
949-824-7937
msherkat@law.uci.edu