The Law Offices of Jarrett Adams announced a lawsuit on Monday on behalf of Humberto “Beto” Duran, an East Los Angeles resident who was wrongfully incarcerated for over three decades.
Adams, together with attorney Megan Denkers Baca, the founder of the California Innocence Advocates, filed the lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the County of Los Angeles, and defendants Daniel Batanero, Robert Perry, and Ruben Bejarano.
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“The federal civil rights action filed with the Central District of California Western Division has been taken to obtain compensatory damages, costs and attorney fees for the fabrication of inculpatory evidence, the suppression of exculpatory evidence, and the wrongful conviction of Duran, resulting in the now 51-year-old being held in custody in violation of his constitutional rights for nearly three decades,” the press release stated.
Duran, who was sentenced to two life terms for the murder of gang member Albert Gonzalez and the attempted murder of witness Monica Rivera, was exonerated after the lone eyewitness evidence was retracted, according to the statement.
According to the statement, Duran was granted release in January 2023, his convictions were overturned the following year, and the case against him was terminated by the end of 2024. In April 2025, a petition for factual innocence was granted, allowing Duran to seek state restitution for the years he was unlawfully imprisoned.
His attorney, Jarrett Adams, said, “This action seeks injunctive and equitable relief against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the County of Los Angeles to reform their unconstitutional policies and customs that were the moving force behind the constitutional rights violations suffered by Mr. Duran. We are asking for compensation for the extensive list of damages he suffered while wrongly imprisoned.
“While in jail, our client lost the opportunities to join the United States Marine Corps, to continue his education, to build a career, and to enjoy life’s activities. He’ll never regain those lost years or heal fully from all the abuse he was subjected to. Mr. Duran deserves just compensation so he can finally have closure to this nightmare that has lasted two plus decades,” Adams said.
According to the statement, Duran suffered several injuries and health issues while detained, including a brain tumor, significant hearing loss, asthma, kidney failure, assaults by convicts and prison staff that resulted in traumatic head injuries, and other catastrophic wounds.
It was also revealed that Duran is still suffering from mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar illness, and severe depressive disorder. He suffered from labile mood, avolition, cognitive deterioration, and visual and aural hallucinations while in prison.
“The California Innocence Advocates reinvestigated Duran’s case for seven years before we were able to file a petition in 2024 asking for an overturn of his conviction based on the only eyewitness admitting she lied on the stand when she swore she saw Duran shoot Gonzalez,” Baca said.
“Our client’s name has finally been cleared after a trifecta of wrongs were brought to light: Rivera’s recanting testimony; a trial lawyer, later disbarred, who had a grossly ineffective defense; and sheriff’s deputies who targeted Duran for prosecution by violating numerous police practices,” she said.
The release described some of the Sheriff’s Department’s flawed practices, such as using coercive interrogation techniques, manipulating audio recordings of witness interviews, and allowing Rivera’s cousin, defendant Batanero, to participate in the investigation despite not being a homicide detective.
The statement also detailed a pattern of misconduct within the agency dating back to the 1980s, which included withholding exculpatory evidence, pushing a witness to falsely identify a suspect, beating and arresting a suspect without cause, and forging police records.
Numerous sheriff’s deputies faced federal charges in 1990 for stealing over $1 million during drug operations.
In that instance, numerous deputies were convicted of corruption, and testimony revealed that they abused defendants, stole money, and framed people by stealing drugs from evidence storage and planting them in homes and vehicles. Deputies were also found to have falsified search warrant documents and manufactured reports, according to the release.
