Pittsburgh PENNSYLVANIA

ABOUT Paul D. Krepps

A significant amount of Paul’s practice is concentrated in the area of civil rights litigation. He defends police officers, public officials, corrections officers and administrators, teachers and school district administrators, children and youth case workers, as well as their respective municipal entities, in state and federal court in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These areas of practice include representing clients before inquest and grand jury proceedings and before administrative proceedings.

Paul has been utilized to perform audits of municipal departments, such as police departments and 911 call centers, and has conducted internal investigations. He has also provided consultation to numerous municipalities regarding the operational aspects of their police departments. His nearly 10 years of experience in law enforcement provide him with a unique perspective, particularly in the numerous matters he has litigated involving the use of Tasers.

Additionally, Paul has litigated a wide array of professional liability and product liability cases in West Virginia, including the defense of real estate agents, insurance brokers, logging cases, correctional facilities and civil rights matters. Among his West Virginia cases was the defense of Weirton Steel Corporation and Wheeling Downs and the City of Huntington. Paul has also represented a number of private and public employers in employment matters.

Paul was designated as lead defense counsel for all suits arising out of the Pittsburgh “G-20.” In this role he successfully completed training provided by the Department of Homeland Security in both the Basic and Command courses in Managing Civil Actions and Threat Incidents (MCATI).

In 2015, Paul was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police to assist in developing a policy and training program on the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWC). As a member of the BWC Committee, Paul provides recommendations to members of the Pennsylvania legislature in drafting legislation to govern the use of BWCs by police officers.

In 1979 Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University. For nearly 12 years before attending the Duquesne University School of Law, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul was a police officer. He served in Elizabeth Township, Pennsylvania, and then in the cities of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach, Florida. He served as a uniform police officer and field training officer, became certified as a crime scene analyst, and was part of the Major Crimes Unit. Paul was recognized as an expert in crime scene reconstruction and the science of fingerprints in both state and federal courts in Florida.

Honors & awards

AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell

Year joined

1994

Certifications

Certified I.A.I. Crime Scene Analyst

Florida State Certified Police Field Training Officer

Results

Defense Verdict for Two Police Officers in Excessive Force Case After 12-day Jury Trial

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
December 1, 2017

The plaintiff brought claims of excessive force against one of two police officers and claims of assault and battery against the other officer. The incident in question occurred during a traffic stop. The plaintiff bore a strong resemblance to, and shared the last name of, a known gang member who had outstanding warrants for weapons offenses. During the traffic stop, one of the defendants observed an unnatural bulge in the plaintiff’s pants pocket. The officers ordered the plaintiff to exit the vehicle in order to pat him down for their own safety and to resolve the identity issue.

Summary Judgment for a Police Officer Accused of Malicious Prosecution

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
January 22, 2016

A municipal police officer received a complaint that an unknown male attempted to lure a 15-year-old female into his car. A day later, the victim and her mother went to the police department and advised the same officer that the victim saw the suspect car and followed it to a local business. When the driver exited the vehicle, the victim viewed him and was adamant that he was the individual who attempted to lure her into the same car the previous day. The officer prepared a photo array that contained a photograph of the owner of the vehicle, which the victim immediately

Successful Defense of Police Officer Accused of Malicious Prosecution

Public Entity and Civil Rights Litigation
October 8, 2015

Obtained summary judgment for a police officer accused of malicious prosecution. A municipal police officer received a complaint that an unknown male attempted to lure a 15-year-old female into his car. A day later, the victim and her mother went to the police department and advised the same officer that the victim saw the suspect car and followed it to a local business. When the driver exited the vehicle the victim viewed him and was adamant that he was the individual who had attempted to lure her into the same car the previous day.

Thought Leadership

Scott Dunlop and Paul Krepps (Pittsburgh, PA) and Christopher Boyle (King of Prussia, PA) presented a Leadership Course for Law Enforcement Executives

January 12, 2012
Scott Dunlop and Paul Krepps (Pittsburgh, PA) and Christopher Boyle (King of Prussia, PA) presented a Leadership Course for Law Enforcement Executives in Monroeville, PA and in Hatboro, PA for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Po

Classes/Seminars Taught

Mass Disturbances: Law and Litigation, Allegheny County Law Enforcement, March 2019

The Wrong Side of the Caption, 42 USC 1983 Turns the Tables on Prosecutors, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association/Institute, July 2015

Hot Topics for Local Law Enforcement, Washington County Chiefs of Police Association, May 2015

Beyond Asking Questions at a Deposition, November 2014

Challenging 8553 - Tort Claims Act Damages Cap and Damages Recoverable Under the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act, September 2013

Employment Liability in the Cyber Age, Marshall Dennehey / AIG Employment Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA, May 2, 2013

Leadership Course for Law Enforcement Executives, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, December 2011

Reasonable Expectation of Privacy, the Danger in Enforcing the Wiretap Act, Police Departments from Beaver, Allegheny and Butler Counties, August 2011

Liability Issues for Municipalities Hosting National Events: Including the Development of Security Plans, Training and Equipping Police Officers, and Executing Law Enforcement and Security Functions During These Complex Events, City of Honolulu, Hawaii, January 2010

Exposure in Education Cases Related to Due Process and Bullying, Client Seminar, August 2010

Assisted the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission, Pennsylvania State Police - preparation and training to training officers (2006, 2008)

Constitutional Litigation in the Current Political Climate, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, June 2008

Section 1983 Civil Rights, Continuing Legal Education, Pennsylvania Bar Association

Law Enforcement Issues and Liability, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors & Delaware Valley Insurance Trust, October 2008

Implications of Scott v. Harris on Police Pursuits and Beyond, Lorman Education Services

Development of a Critical Incident Protocol - City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh Law Department, various Chiefs of Police Organizations

Effective Law Enforcement Through Police Accountability - City of Pittsburgh and various municipal law enforcement agencies

Police Rights and Liabilities - Various Chiefs of Police Organizations

Police Accountability - Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and various police departments

Effective Witness Preparation - Continuing Legal Education for in-house lawyer training

Terrorism and An Analysis of the Events of 9/11 - American Inns of Court and University of Pittsburgh

Workplace Violence - Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

Disability of Deriliction? - Claims Management Advisory Board Seminar for a major municipal insurance carrier

Litigating an Uninsured Auto Case in West Virginia - Maryland Auto Insurance Fund

Civil / Criminal Forfeiture and RICO - University of Pittsburgh

Police and Drug Enforcement - University of Pittsburgh

Immigration and Law Enforcement - University of Pittsburgh

Crime Scene Investigation - University of Pittsburgh and various law enforcement agencies

Property Crimes - University of Pittsburgh

Organized Crime; Asian and African American - University of Pittsburgh

Organized Crime; Russia - University of Pittsburgh

Community Consideration of Policing Immigrant Populations - University of Pittsburgh

Probation and Parole - St. Vincent College

Crime Prevention and Property Crimes - St. Vincent College

Introduction to Criminology - Beaver County Community College

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Areas of LAW

  • Professional Liability

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