The name Geoffrey Fieger is well-known in the nation's courtrooms, and he will soon be known in the Ball State community.
Fieger, attorney with Fieger, Fieger, Kenney & Johnson P.C. Law Firm in Southfield, Mich., has represented clients such as Dr. Jack Kevorkian and the family of Scott Amedure, who was shot and killed after appearing on "Jenny Jones."
Fieger, who has been hired as the lawyer for the family of Michael McKinney, will file a $100 million federal civil rights lawsuit against Ball State University and University Police officer Robert Duplain, according to a press release.
Pam Ferris, solo practitioner attorney in Birmingham, Mich., said with Fieger representing the McKinney family, they have a good chance of winning.
"He's a good trial lawyer," Ferris said. "He gets juries to give his clients lots of money."
Ferris believes Fieger has this ability to win because he brings the jury into the case.
Fieger attended the University of Michigan, where he received two academic degrees, including one in theater. He then earned his law degree from the Detroit College of Law-Michigan State University.
Fieger joined his father's law firm and won his first trial case in 1980, according to his Web site.
Fieger was also the Democratic nominee for governor of the state of Michigan in 1998, but lost to John Engler.
From there, his clients consisted of people involved in high-profile cases.
"He goes after the money cases," Ferris said.
In the case involving "Jenny Jones," Fieger won $25 million for the family of Amedure.
In Moreland v. The City of South Bend, Fieger won $56 million for the family of a man killed by officers while in the county jail. The officers had originally been acquitted of criminal charges, but Fieger won in a civil rights trial.
Robert Giroux, an attorney at Fieger's firm, said Fieger represents clients in police misconduct cases. Earlier in his career, Fieger focused on cases involving medical malpractice, Giroux said.
"We have a big problem in Detroit with police officer misconduct," Giroux said. "In the last five to 10 years, (Fieger's) been trying more of those cases then any other kind."
Michael McKinney, a Ball State student, was shot and killed on Nov. 8 by University Police officer Robert Duplain. Duplain was responding to a burglary call when he found McKinney in the back yard of the property at 1325 North St.
When Ferris, who has a daughter at Ball State, learned of the death of Michael McKinney, she wanted to help the McKinney family find a lawyer, she said.
"I was going to tell them to go with Fieger," she said. "He does whatever it takes to get sympathy for his client."
Fieger appears frequently on CNN, Fox and Court TV. He also is the host of a CBS radio program called "Fiegertime."
Jon Seidel contributed to this story
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