Caree Harper
Prior to becoming an attorney, Caree Harper was one of the most decorated police officers in the East Bay Area, achieving a "Marksman Medal" for shooting skills, and a "Lifesaving Medal" for diving into a canal of water, pulling out an unconscious, submerged driver & performing CPR until the victim was airlifted to safety where he fully recovered. Ms. Harper was injured in the line of duty. She was re-trained to be a certified paralegal & worked for several law firms before law school. She passed the CA Bar Exam on the first attempt.
Caree also works for social good & was recognized in the County of L.A. when she received the Shirley Fields Volunteer Award for dedicating 50 percent of her time to pro bono work. For 10 years, Caree handled dozens of pro bono cases for the Pasadena NAACP. In 2016, Caree defended the #BlackLivesMatter protestors in L.A. who were criminally charged with blocking the freeway after Ferguson, pro bono. There were no convictions.
In 2008, Caree Harper was one of hundreds of California attorneys dispersed throughout the country to oversee the polls in the Presidential Election. She was directly responsible for the calculation of ballots of voters initially turned away for unconstitutional reasons. In 2012, Caree was an active volunteer & registered voters.
During a criminal trial involving excessive force, Caree was struck by a pickup truck as a pedestrian. After she landed, she was able to put her glasses back on and get 6 of the 7 digits of the license plate just before police and ambulance services arrived. Pasadena Police refused to broadcast the plate until she initiated a claim to sue the department. A mistrial would have forfeited the diverse jury, so her client & his brother carried her into court & she carried him to a victory.
In 2014, Caree settled a wrongful death case involving 19-year-old Kendrec McDade killed by Pasadena police, for over a million dollars & later that same year Caree obtained a $1.5 mil. settlement for CHP beating survivor Marlene Pinnock & had the terms of the termination of the officer embodied in the Settlement Agreement -setting precedent. Caree recently settled the #AnthonyMcClain wrongful death shooting case against #PasadenaPD for $7.5 million. This award-winning attorney has received many other seven figure settlements for clients. She’s an elite “#SuperLawyer“ & National Trial Lawyer “Top 100”.
Caree loves family, friends, most sports & hates lima beans.