Do You Know Your Rights When It Comes to Police Misconduct?
If you’ve been a victim of police misconduct, such as brutality, excessive force, false arrest, or racial profiling, there are important laws that protect you. These laws also protect the family members of victims who are killed by the police. Our civil rights lawyers explain what you can do if the police have violated your civil rights.
Know Your Rights
California and federal law provide important protections to victims of police misconduct.
These include:
- Request information through the California Public Records Act, which provides you the right to see certain records relating to police misconduct, serious uses of force, and officer discipline. These include records related to incidents where a police officer fired a gun, committed sexual assault, or was found to have engaged in dishonesty such as by filing a false report, giving false testimony, or planting evidence. Many police departments also permit individuals to request some records related to their own encounters with the police, such as a crime report.
- Ask the Court to exclude evidence if you are charged with a crime.
- File a complaint with the police department or its internal affairs division.
- File a civil rights lawsuit against the police officer(s) or police department demanding an injunction and/or financial compensation.
How To File a Civil Rights Lawsuit
Victims of police misconduct can file a civil rights lawsuit under various laws including 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, a federal law the allows individuals to sue police officers and departments for violations of their civil rights. Filing a civil rights lawsuit can lead to significant changes in the police department, such as forcing the department to retrain its officers and change its policies, which will help protect other people from becoming victims of police misconduct.
In addition to helping protect others from police misconduct, a lawsuit can help you recover monetary damages. If you suffered physical or emotional injuries from excessive force, or lost wages and work opportunities due to police misconduct, filing a lawsuit can get you the compensation you deserve. You could also recover punitive damages, which are money damages intended to punish the police officer for their malicious conduct and deter them from victimizing other people in the future.
You could also recover punitive damages, which are money damages intended to punish the police officer for their malicious conduct and deter them from victimizing other people in the future.
How Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP Can Help
If you want to learn more about filing a civil rights lawsuit, our team at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP is here to help you.
Our attorneys have experience in high-stakes litigation, including against:
- The Los Angeles Police Department
- The Los Angeles and Orange County sheriff’s departments
- The FBI
- And more
We have the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today at (626) 775-7870 to schedule a consultation!