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David Schertler and Lisa Manning Obtain Jury Acquittal in Involuntary Manslaughter Prosecution


FEBRUARY 2018

After a seven-week trial, a D.C. Superior Court jury acquitted Schertler & Onorato client Clifton Montgomery and a co-defendant, Charles Brown, of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accidental death of a MedStar Washington Hospital Center patient in 2015.  At the time of the incident, Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Brown were hospital special police officers called upon to help return the confused and combative patient to his hospital room.  The patient suffered from an undiagnosed bone condition that made him unusually susceptible to injury.  David Schertler and Lisa Manning represented Mr. Montgomery at the trial, which included testimony from multiple eyewitnesses, both defendants, and numerous expert witnesses on both medical topics and law enforcement use-of-force standards.

Recent News
  • JUNE 2026
  • David Schertler and Danny Onorato Named to 2026 Super Lawyers Top Lists for Washington, D.C.
  • JUNE 2026
  • David Schertler, Danny Onorato, Hank Asbill, Robert Trout, Mark MacDougall, and Lisa Manning Receive 2026 Rankings from Chambers and Partners
  • JUNE 2026
  • Chambers USA 2026 Guide Awards SOMSM a Band 1 Ranking as a Specialist Firm in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
  • MAY 2026
  • Veteran Civil Rights Litigator Mark Blumberg Joins SOMSM
  • MARCH 2026
  • Legal 500 City Elite Series Recognizes David Schertler, Hank Asbill, and Danny Onorato for White-Collar Crime Practice
  • NOVEMBER 2025
  • SOMS Receives National and Regional Tier Rankings in the 2026 Edition of Best Law Firms®

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