When Donald Trump was sworn in as President in 2017, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department rounded up and arrested hundreds of protestors near Franklin Square at 12^th and L Streets, NW. 

After being appointed to mediate two high-profile cases challenging the mass arrests, our colleague Dan Dozier and his co-mediator John Aldock worked pro bono for the past two years to achieve a settlement, announced just this past April.  The two cases are Horse et al. v. District of Columbia et al. and Schultz v. District of Columbia, et al.

As a result of the negotiated settlement, the DC government agreed to change the police department’s mass-arrest policies to require recording of searches from three angles with body-worn cameras when practicable, notifying officers of standing police policies in First Amendment-protected mass events, and limiting the use of stingballs – explosive devices that release smoke, make noise, and flashes – by rolling them on the ground instead of throwing them in the air except under extreme circumstances.  The cases also resulted in a monetary settlement of about $1.6 million for both cases.  

Dan’s appointment as mediator to these two politically sensitive and emotionally charged cases follows a distinguished career as an internationally known mediator.  He has been on the court’s roster of mediators for over 30 years and recently was named a Best Attorney-Mediator by Washingtonian Magazine.  We congratulate Dan on achieving a successful outcome.