Articles Tagged with Best Nightclub Victim Attorney

NightClubThe Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C. has published detailed safety guidelines to assist owners and managers of nightlife establishments in deterring crime and maintaining a safe premises. One goal of the publication is to reduce sexual assaults in nightclubs, bars and lounges. These guidelines are highlighted below.

9 MPD Nightclub Management Guidelines to Deter Sexual Assault

  1. Management and employees can help to prevent their premises from being exploited by sexual aggressors, who may seek to take advantage of vulnerable patrons. Alcohol is the most common substance aggressors use to facilitate sexual assault. Both the aggressor and the target may have impaired judgment and lower awareness as a result of alcohol consumption, leading to a greater chance of sexual violation anywhere along the spectrum from harassment to violent assault. However, the environment around a sexual aggressor can make a difference in their behavior.
  2. Young women are statistically most likely to be the target of unwanted sexual attention and ag- gression, but it’s important to keep in mind that anyone may be a target, including patrons of gay establishments. Aggressors often present themselves as friendly, seeking to get to know a tar- get, buying them drinks, or otherwise displaying a romantic interest. Aggressors may also engage in unwanted contact such as pressing up against someone on the dance floor, groping, or “up-skirt” grabbing. If bar staff notice any of these behaviors, it may be useful for them to ask the target if s/he would like any intervention and/or keep a close eye on the situation in case it escalates.

    Escalation can also take place off-premises. A common scenario is for an aggressor to initiate an interaction on the premises, isolate the target from her friends, and then persuade or pressure the target to leave with him. Employees should be attuned to behavior that seems overly familiar or aggressive under the circumstances, especially if the potential target is visibly intoxicated or seems to be impaired.

  3. Establishment personnel should offer to call a cab for the vulnerable or impaired person, and closely observe as patrons leave to see if they seem to be able to navigate safely. Security personnel at the door or outside are well positioned and should observe when patrons leave. They should also take general note of whom patrons arrive with and whether they leave with the same group or someone else. Note that aggressors may seek to get targets drunk or drugged, encourage them to get some air, and then pull up in a car or hail a cab to take them away.
  4. If establishment personnel sense that something is awry, either when an aggressor is purchasing drinks for a potential target who is visibly intoxicated, isolating her from her friends, or trying to leave with her, personnel should make it clear to the aggressor that they have been observed by asking them in front of others how they’re doing or if they need some help. Staff can also use distraction techniques to separate the target from the aggressor, such as telling the potential target that her friends are looking for her. If possible, employees should make a note of the circumstances, the descriptions of the parties, or any other information that could become relevant at a later time. However, establishment managers and staff should make every effort to keep patrons safe and proactively intervene if they observe any suspicious or problematic behaviors.
  5. Encourage groups to designate one person as a chaperone and perhaps identify this person with a wristband. This person could be served non-alcoholic beverages at a discount for the night.
  6. For prevention of assaults on the premises, maintain surveillance cameras outside restroom doors, and consider employing a restroom attendant. Ensure that restrooms are used by the appropriate gender. If the restrooms are gender-segregated, monitor to ensure that men do not enter the women’s restroom (keeping in mind that some people who appear to be one gender may in fact be another). Surveillance cameras should be monitored throughout the night, especially near closing time. Ensure that storage areas and other restricted areas are kept locked and secured. Closed darkened areas create a potential danger.
  7. Support staff, including porters, barbacks, busboys, and kitchen staff, should receive sexual assault awareness training that will help them be aware of patron behavior and recognize potential perpetrator behaviors that may lead to sexual assault, especially as these employees work in or pass through areas that are dark or restricted. As part of their training, employees should be instructed to immediately report any suspicious or problematic behavior to a supervisor or manager.
  8. Establishments can send a clear message that there is zero tolerance for sexual assault by posting signs letting patrons know that their safety is a priority, and including on the signs who among the staff a patron can approach if they need assistance.
  9. Perhaps most important, management and employees should trust their instincts regarding possible predatory behavior they may observe. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Management should communicate to employees, ideally by establishing a written policy, that they support proactive efforts to address suspicious, aggressive, or predatory behavior. If possible, employees should make notes of any situation they observed for later reference if needed.

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NightClubNightclub owners and managers are all too often focused on reacting to violent or dangerous situations rather than preventing them. The implementation of proper security precautions and staff awareness training can deter many crimes before they occur, potentially saving lives and preventing unnecessary injuries.

Nightclub & Bar, an online resource for the nightlife industry, recently asked club owners, “What if the discussion was about noticing the potential for an incident and intervening before one even starts?” They teamed up with Mike Adams, a Las Vegas nightclub security expert, to explore his proactive approach to creating a secure venue:

“Anytime you’re working a venue, your key process is situational awareness….Your foundation, the fundamentals of situational awareness, is to develop a baseline and then look for anything outside the normal behaviors of that baseline,” Mike Adams explains.

The Exterior

Groups of friends meeting up for a fun night out behave a certain way. Their mannerisms and their interactions with one another should set your baseline for acceptable behavior. As a doorman or security team member, you’re the club’s first line of defense. Mike suggests looking for the person in line who’s eyeballing one person rather than looking at everyone. In his experience, people who intend to have a good time are checking out who’s around them rather than focusing only on their friends or one person. Of course, someone who seems hostile or makes you uncomfortable with their behavior isn’t guaranteed to cause any problems – Mike is simply advising security team members to be aware of the markers of hostile behavior.

Additionally, if you often work the line and door, you’ll likely learn the regulars and develop a rapport. Developing a relationship with regulars affords you the opportunity to create a baseline for their behavior. Just like a relationship with your friends, you’ll notice when they feel “off” to you: lack of eye contact, looking down, stooped shoulders… Interacting with regulars will help you gain more experience with behavior, making you a more effective security team member. Remember, customer service is a part of modern day security.

The Interior

When working the inside of a nightclub, you’re in the mix. Understanding your venue, the theme of the night, the demographics your club attracts, and even the subcultures of these demographics is essential. It’s difficult to predict human behavior and create a behavioral baseline if you don’t understand how the venue’s guests should be behaving and interacting with one another. It doesn’t hurt to have at least a superficial understanding of psychology as it relates to the age groups that tend to frequent your venue. Additionally, you’ll need to be able to read body language when working the inside of a packed venue.

None of us needs a degree in psychology to know that ego and aggression are the hallmarks of many males aged 21 to 25. If you work security at a nightclub that attracts this demographic in large numbers, you know what can set off an incident….Stepping on shoes, bumping into someone, knocking a drink out of a hand accidentally… We know what to look for, and why….

A commitment to situational awareness, an understanding of human behavior, and realizing that protection is a form of customer service can help to catch minor problems before they become legal issues.

Read the complete article here.

Patron Rights

By law, nightclub owners are required to protect all patrons legally on the premises from any foreseeable harm.  We applaud nightclub owners and security managers, like Mike Adams, who take a proactive approach to venue security and safety, training their staff to prevent incidents rather than simply reacting to them.

We’ve Recovered Millions for Victims of Nightclub Security and Safety Negligence…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.

Headline Frame Fox News FireThe Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims of nightclub security and safety negligence. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property. We offer our legal assistance, if desired.

We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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Choosing the Right Attorney

Selecting the right attorney for you or your family is highly important. You must feel confident that the attorney you hire has a complete understanding of the law applicable to your particular case, and has successful experience in handling such cases.

Important: Do not hire a lawyer who has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct!!!

You should not hire an attorney who calls you or visits you unsolicited, or anyone that contacts you directly to offer legal services. This activity is strictly prohibited by Rule 7.3 of the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which states as follows:

ABA Center for Professional ResponsibilityA LAWYER “SHALL NOT” CONTACT A PROSPECTIVE CLIENT THROUGH A “LIVE TELEPHONE” OR AN “IN-PERSON” VISIT.

– RULE 7.3, ABA MODEL RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT.

If an attorney, or someone acting on behalf of an attorney, contacts you in this manner, that attorney is in violation of this Rule. This unethical and unprofessional activity on the part of the lawyer is good sign that you should stay away. It is imperative that you are represented by an attorney who is capable of advocating for you within the confines of the law, and an attorney who fails to abide by the Rules of Professional Conduct is probably not the best fit. In fact, any such attorney should be immediately reported to the local State Bar Association. If you have been contacted in such an unsolicited manner, contact us and we’ll assist you in filing a report.

Contingency Fees Disclaimer: “Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.