African-American Male Wrongfully Charged With Theft From Apple Store Based on Color

Terrell Gray, an African-American male from NJ was arrested for theft when he sought a replacement for his broken iPad in a Berkeley, CA Apple store. Gray was offered a free replacement cracked screen but Apple employees in the store stated the store would not replace the device. Police arrived on the scene and arrested Gray who was placed in a psychiatric hospital overnight. Upon release Gray returned to the store and was arrested, detained for approximately a week without being formally charged then placed in a psychiatric hospital for over a month. Upon release, Gray returned to NJ and visited a doctor regarding mental anguish, emotional distress, paranoia, emotional pain and suffering as well as other mental issues. As a result of Gray's consultation with the doctor in NJ he was committed to Trenton psychiatric hospital for approximately 3 months. Gray is now suing Apple and the City of Berkeley under for violations of 42 U.S.C. Section 1981(Equal Rights Under the Law), 1982 (Property Rights of Citizens) and 1985 (Conspiracy to Interfere With Civil Rights) for discrimination against people of color based on his own treatment and in-store video showing Apple employees disproportionately targeting shoppers based on race, nationality, or ethnicity and confronting them with false accusations of criminal activity, false imprisonment, and other forms of harassment. Gray has also brought a case against the City of Berkeley with assault and battery, false imprisonment, negligent infliction of emotional distress and other charges. If you are facing criminal charges it is critical you obtain an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately to protect your rights and build a defense against the prosecution's case. Although the justice system is designed to protect the innocent and bring just punishment to the guilty to deter others from following suit while also rehabilitating them when necessary there are times when innocent individuals are grouped among the guilty for an assortment of reasons. If this happens it is critical to have someone fighting hard for your good name. For more information about theft, burglary or other criminal issues in New Jersey visit HeatherDarlingLawyer.com. This blog is for informational purposes and not intended to replace the advice of counsel.