Everything You Need To Know About Civil Rights Lawsuits
Don’t Accept An Infringement Of Your Civil Rights: Get Expert Help
Too often in the news these days are stories of unarmed individuals being beaten, tased, shoved or shot by members of law enforcement. As many of these tragic instances are caught on video, more people are becoming aware of the injustices. Minneapolis, specifically, has seen an uptick in civil rights violations, and the tragic events that transpired here last summer have millions of Americans demanding better. As Americans, we hold our civil rights to be near and dear, and any infringement on them without due process of law should not be tolerated.
If your civil rights have been violated by a governmental entity, police department, or law enforcement agency, our qualified and experienced civil rights lawyers in Rochester can help. To better understand the basics of civil rights lawsuits, read through the sections below.
Common Civil Rights Infringements
While the term civil rights infringement may seem broad, common examples include:
- Police shootings
- Excessive force
- Police brutality
- Unlawful use of a taser
- Unlawful death at the hands of police or guards
- False imprisonment/illegal detention or arrest by police
- Unlawful arrest and conviction/malicious prosecution
- Unlawful search and seizure/violation of Fourth Amendment rights
- Prisoner’s rights
- Failure to intervene
Of course you may have a case that involves several of the aspects noted above. This is one reason why you should only get legal representation from a qualified and experienced civil rights attorney. An expert in this area of law will understand all the important intricacies, build a solid case on your behalf, and represent you in court to the best of their ability. Civil rights lawsuits can be emotionally and physically taxing, but having a first-rate civil rights lawyer on your team will ensure your rights are not unjustly infringed upon.
Gathering Evidence
If you believe your rights, or the rights of a family member, have been violated by a government or law enforcement entity, it’s important that you start preserving and gathering evidence immediately. If witnesses saw you being abused, try to get in touch with them, save their contact information and ask them to preserve any photos or videos they may have taken of the incident. If you have photos or videos that document the infringement, save them in multiple places to keep them from being lost or destroyed by accident. Also, it’s important to do your evidence gathering and preservation as soon as possible, as a lot of evidence becomes less meaningful with the passing of time.
This is another instance where having an attorney to consult is incredibly valuable. A legal expert can tell you exactly what kind of evidence is important, and they can even do some of the gathering for you.
You CAN Obtain Compensation
While not all civil rights cases reach the conclusions the public had hoped for, civil rights cases with the right set of facts are definitely worth pursuing. You should never accept an infringement of your civil rights. And if you have experienced abuse at the hands of law enforcement, you should reach out to our civil rights attorneys in Rochester to evaluate your case.