Gerald Jacks, Arnold Luciano and Jamie Jacks are pleased to announce that Daniel "Danny" Griffith has joined the law firm as partner. The firm will be known as "Jacks Griffith Luciano". Danny brings a wealth of experience in all facets of the law, but has particular expertise in the defense of public entities including municipalities, police departments and officers, supervisors and public school officials and employees.
Danny is a native of Cleveland. He graduated Cleveland High School, Delta State University and Ole Miss Law School. Danny has practiced law in Cleveland for over 25 years and is a peer review rated attorney with the highest available rating. He has served as President of the Bolivar County Bar, Chair of the Government Law section of the Mississippi Bar and belongs to numerous professional organizations. Danny’s governmental entity based practice has included service as school board attorney, public lands attorney and city attorney. Danny serves as defense panel counsel with multiple public entity defense carriers. His litigation practice focuses on state and federal civil litigation. Danny has appeared as lead counsel in over 150 federal civil cases in the Northern District of Mississippi, primarily defending police officers, school teachers and their public employers. Danny has had the honor of arguing as lead counsel before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleanson multiple occasions. A combination of this experience and coming from a family of attorneys with similar areas of practice has allowed Danny the opportunity to address bar and insurance groups on continuing education topics in the areas of civil rights and public entity defense. His public entity practice also includes risk management lectures to the public employees ranging from civil service workers to newly elected County Supervisors.
Jacks Griffith Luciano recently successfully defended the Cleveland School District in a principal non-renewal case. The former employee argued the district did not have enough evidence justifying the non-renewal. On appeal to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, the high court found the district had sufficient grounds to issue the non-renewal and affirmed the district's employment decision.
Gerald Jacks and Jamie Jacks successfuly defended a Mississippi landlord in a flood damages case. The case was dismissed by a federal judge in the Northern District of Mississippi and was upheld on the tenant's appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The tenant sued the landlord for flood damage arguing the landlord owed a duty to install flood protection devices. Gerald Jacks and Jamie Jacks argued there was no such duty either per the contract between the parties or at law and there was no evidence any such flood protection measure would have actually prevented the damage.
The "Super Lawyers" publication has once again named attorney Gerald Jacks a "Super Lawyer". The publication makes the list annually, selecting from attorneys across the state. Lawyers are chosen based on ability and peer recommendation.
In September 2013, a Harrison County Circuit Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against a South Mississippi bar. Gerald Jacks and Jamie Jacks successfully defended the bar owner. No appeal was filed.
The lawsuit arose out of an incident where a bar patron spent several hours drinking at the tavern and then drove himself home while intoxicated, injuring himself in a one vehicle accident.
The patron sued the bar arguing he was involuntarily intoxicated because he was so drunk he could not make a choice as to whether or not to drink alcohol. In Mississippi, there is no liability for a bar if a patron is injured as a result of serving alcohol unless the bar serves someone who is under the legal drinking age or the bar patron is involuntarily intoxicated.
The circuit judge rejected the bar patron's claims and dismissed the lawsuit finding there was no liability for the bar. The judge found there was no evidence of involuntary intoxication by the patron and thus, the bar was immune from this type of suit under Mississippi law.
