Overview
Gerald Lechner brought this federal civil rights action arising from a series of encounters and unlawful arrests with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers while street performing on the Las Vegas Strip in the years of 2017 and 2018.
Why This Case Matters
Lechner v. LVMPD et al. addresses the constitutional protections afforded to members of the public acting as street performers and other speakers using traditional public forums. The case resulted in a federal jury finding violations of the First and Fourth Amendments and municipal liability against LVMPD arising from its treatment of street performers.
Case Timeline
Showing latest 6 entriesEarlier case history 13 earlier entries
- D. Nev.Gerald Lechner filed the federal civil-rights action against LVMPD and related defendants.
- D. Nev.Lechner moved to amend the complaint to add the individual LVMPD officers as defendants.
- D. Nev.District Court granted Lechner leave to amend the complaint and add the individual LVMPD officers.
- D. Nev.Second Amended Complaint filed, adding the individual LVMPD officers as defendants.
- D. Nev.District Court issued its major summary-judgment ruling, allowing significant First and Fourth Amendment claims to proceed toward trial.
- D. Nev.After a seven-day federal trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in Lechner’s favor on multiple First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, and his municipal liability claims.
- D. Nev.Final judgment entered following the jury verdict.
- D. Nev.District Court denied Defendants’ motion for judgment as a matter of law, leaving the jury’s verdict intact.
- D. Nev.LVMPD Defendants filed a notice of appeal from the district-court judgment and post-trial rulings, resulting in Ninth Circuit Appeal No. 26-2532.
- D. Nev.Lechner filed his notice of cross-appeal, resulting in Ninth Circuit Appeal No. 26-2674.
- D. Nev.Kaempfer Crowell substituted as counsel for the LVMPD Defendants in place of Marquis Aurbach.
- 9th Cir.Lechner’s cross-appeal was opened as No. 26-2674 and placed on a consolidated cross-appeal briefing schedule with No. 26-2532.
- 9th Cir.Attorney John R. Scannell entered his appearance as appellate counsel for Gerald Lechner in the appeal.
- 9th Cir.Ninth Circuit released the related appeals from its mediation program.
- 9th Cir.LVMPD Defendants requested and received an extension of the cross-appeal briefing schedule.
- 9th Cir.LVMPD Defendants requested another extension of time to file their opening brief.
- 9th Cir.Ninth Circuit granted the additional extension, moving the first cross-appeal brief deadline to September 9, 2026.
- 9th Cir.LVMPD Defendants requested a third extension of time to file their opening brief.
- 9th Cir.Cross-appeal proceedings remain pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.