A federal lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, accusing several individuals and state officials of conspiracy and misconduct in a legal case.
The lawsuit, filed on December 10, 2024, was brought by Feifei Gu, a New York resident currently facing criminal charges. Gu claims that the State of New York and several court officials violated her constitutional rights in connection with her ongoing legal proceedings.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on January 1, 2024, when Hang Chen and others reported to authorities that Gu had destroyed a security camera. Based on this report, Gu was arrested on January 12, 2024, and is being prosecuted in Kings County Criminal Court under case number CR-001793-24/KN.
The lawsuit alleges that there was no probable cause for the arrest, as no evidence exists to show that the camera was damaged. Additionally, Gu accuses the District Attorney's office of presenting falsified evidence and withholding potentially exculpatory material, in violation of her rights under the Brady doctrine.
On February 22, 2024, Mark Salem, an attorney representing his clients, initiated a separate legal action against Gu in Kings County Supreme Court. This led to an order issued by Judge Joy F. Campanelli on May 28, 2024, that prevented Gu from making public statements about the plaintiffs or contacting their employer, Re/Max.
Gu claims that this order violated her First Amendment rights and was part of a broader conspiracy involving state actors to deprive her of due process.
Gu's complaint accuses Salem, Judge Campanelli, and other court officials of engaging in improper ex parte communications that resulted in unfair judicial decisions.
She also alleges that Kings County Criminal Court and Supreme Court failed to protect her due to these conspiracies.
Gu is seeking a declaratory judgment to invalidate certain court orders and $1 billion in compensatory damages from Salem for alleged constitutional violations. She also demands professional discipline for the court clerks involved and further relief as deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing herself in the case, Gu has named Salem as a defendant, though his legal representation is not specified in the filing. The case is being heard under Case ID 1:24-cv-08444-EK-LB.