Minami Tamaki LLP is pleased to announce a significant victory on behalf of client Rouble Claire in his civil rights case in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Mr. Claire initially brought this matter after experiencing racial harassment and intimidation in 2021. The incidents involved verbal threats and racial slurs, including derogatory terms written on Mr. Claire's property.

On April 30, 2025, the Court entered judgment in Mr. Claire's favor in the amount of $122,035 against Defendant Sara Hollis. This judgment brings the total awards in this civil rights matter to nearly $200,000.

This recent award comes after Minami Tamaki and Szeto-Wong Law previously secured a judgment against Sutter County and sheriff's deputies for failing to adequately investigate these incidents.

In 2023, Mr. Claire and his legal team led by Sean Tamura-Sato of Minami Tamaki LLP and Gina Szeto-Wong of Szeto-Wong Law successfully convinced the Court to reverse its initial order dismissing the state law claims against Defendant Hollis for lack of jurisdiction after Mr. Claire secured judgment on federal law claims against the County and sheriff's deputies. This was a significant legal victory because, to our knowledge, there is no published California case law addressing whether federal courts should maintain jurisdiction over state law claims after a Rule 68 judgment is entered on all federal law claims.

“Mr. Claire's victory in this matter is a powerful affirmation of the power of civil rights laws to combat hate and discrimination,” said Tamura-Sato and Szeto-Wong. “Mr. Claire persisted bravely in seeking justice after suffering horrific treatment. This case is especially meaningful given the ongoing attempts to roll back civil rights protections. Our legal system still has the capacity – and the responsibility – to hold both institutions and individuals accountable.”