Every person in the United States has basic rights. When these rights are violated, victims often turn to the court system to recover. Title 42, Section 1983 of the United States Code specifically provides avenues of relief for people whose rights have been violated by “state actors,” such as police officers, other law enforcement, or other government employees. Lawsuits under Section 1983 often arise because a person is the victim of police brutality.
Police can violate your rights in many ways. For example, they violate your rights if they wrongfully arrest you without a warrant or probable cause, illegally perform searches of your person or property, or if they use excessive force in the process of detaining or arresting you. All of these actions fall under the purview of police brutality, and all are unacceptable. If you have been the victim of any type of police brutality, you should contact a Philadelphia criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to help stand up for your rights.
Police may try to cover up wrongdoing
Police officers often work together to try to cover up acts of brutality. For example, if officers used excessive force by unnecessarily beating you during an arrest, they may falsify police reports to state that you were violent in resisting the arrest. If police wrongfully stopped you for no reason, they may plant evidence on you or state they smelled alcohol or marijuana to justify arresting you. An experienced attorney knows how to investigate the circumstances surrounding your arrest in order to combat falsified reports or police collusion. Furthermore, if you were injured, doctors may examine you to document and demonstrate the extent of your injuries in court. Attorneys have many different strategies for proving that police are working to cover up wrongdoing and violations of your rights.
Police do not have the right to arrest you for no reason or use excessive amounts of force in doing so. If you have been the victim of any type of police brutality, you deserve to be compensated for the violation of your rights. Brian Zeiger and the attorneys of the Philadelphia police brutality lawyers of The Zeiger Firm can help you stand up for your rights by filing a Section 1983 suit. Call today at 215.546.0340 to discuss a possible case.
See also “Police Brutality Lawyers” a community on Google Plus.
