Mission Viejo, CA – Two law-abiding California gun owners have reached a settlement in their federal civil rights lawsuit against former California State Park Ranger Jaycee Hollins (in her individual and official capacities). The defendant agreed to pay $75,000 to resolve the matter.
According to the publicly filed complaint, the plaintiffs were detained by Ranger Hollins for approximately two hours during an encounter in a California state park. Despite lawfully transporting the firearms, the plaintiffs were initially cited for unlawful transportation of a firearm in violation of California Penal Code § 25610. The charges were later amended to possession of assault weapons, with additional charges involving large-capacity magazines under Penal Code § 32310 – though their configurations were California-compliant. All criminal charges were ultimately dismissed by the District Attorney’s office when presented with the facts and correct interpretation of the law. The Davis Law Firm, counsel for the plaintiffs, subsequently obtained findings of factual innocence for both plaintiffs in the criminal proceedings. This civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 was then filed, alleging that Ranger Hollins engaged in unreasonable and unconstitutional conduct during the detention and related enforcement actions.
The settlement concludes the litigation without any admission of liability by the defendant.
“We are pleased that this matter has been resolved amicably, allowing our clients to move forward,” said Jason Davis of The Davis Law Firm, co-counsel for the plaintiffs. “This settlement underscores the critical importance of holding law enforcement accountable when they display what appears to be legal indifference or outright hostile attitudes toward law-abiding gun owners simply exercising their constitutional rights. Officers must understand that Second Amendment protections are not optional and that unreasonable enforcement actions carry real consequences.”
“We followed all the laws for unloaded and secured storage, and were treated with heavy-handed disrespect that reflected an agenda against conservative, lawful citizens exercising our 2nd Amendment rights.” One plaintiff stated. “We were unlawfully detained for approximately 2 hours, and a park ranger overstepped their authority to illegally seize our lawful weapons and pursue wrongful prosecution. We worked closely with our attorneys for nearly two years to clear our names and records of false charges, protect our reputations, obtain the retrieval of our firearms, and secure fair compensation for their unlawful actions.”
“This outcome lets us put the matter behind us and focus on what matters most.” Said another plaintiff. “It also reinforces that law enforcement cannot act with indifference or hostility toward citizens lawfully exercising their firearm rights without being held responsible.”
The Davis Law Firm is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Californians, with a particular focus on civil rights and Second Amendment litigation. The firm continues to fight against government overreach and hold law enforcement accountable for unlawful actions.
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