Can I Sue the Police Department for Violating My Rights?

You have rights as a citizen in the United States that must be protected under state laws as well as the constitution. If you believe that a violation of your rights has occurred, this prompts the question, "Can I sue the police department for violating my rights?"

These are very complex cases and often require the insight of an experienced and dedicated lawyer. An experienced criminal defense lawyer or personal injury lawyer will be able to assist you when you are asking the question, "Can I sue the police department for violating my rights?" 

Violations of rights are taken extremely seriously by anyone who is accused, so it is extremely important to make sure that you have ample evidence supporting the basis of your claims so that you can confidently move forward with your next steps. It will be very important to have this evidence organized so that you can argue when your civil rights have been violated or when the police have engaged in misconduct. 

When Can I Sue the Police?

There are certain circumstances in which the police might have violated your rights and put you in the position to file a lawsuit. Suing the police is one option available to you if those officers have engaged in misconduct that violated your constitutional rights. It can be very difficult to succeed in these kinds of lawsuits, but it definitely is possible. A victim of police misconduct should engage an attorney sooner rather than later to walk through all of their possible steps and determine what to do next. 

There are several different kinds of examples of police behavior that might be classified as misconduct. These can include police brutality, actions of corruption, perjury, falsification of evidence, racial profiling, false arrest, coercion, fraud, imprisonment, abuse of authority, spoilation of evidence, and sexual or physical assault. However, certain kinds of police misconduct claims are more common than others. It is also possible that based on the specifics of your individual case you have more than one police misconduct claim.

You can also make a claim against an officer in other ways, but you should know that this does not mean the same thing as filing a suit in an attempt to recover compensation. Some victims of police actions might also be able to pursue private lawsuits against an officer or department based on what happened, so getting legal advice to go through your concerns in full will help you. A lawyer can sit down with you to discuss all the potential parties who could be held liable in a lawsuit and what action steps you can take to hold those people accountable. These might include administrative as well as legal options for you. 

Most Common Types of Misconduct Claims

In order to answer the question, "Can I sue the police department for violating my rights?"—you need to understand what types of actions the police are allowed to do and are not allowed to do. This will give you the opportunity to come forward with any evidence while it is fresh in your mind and present it to your lawyer when you intend to sue for police misconduct. Certain types of police misconduct cases are more common than others and due to the existing case law and previous interpretations of these kinds of suits, you have a greater chance of being successful in these claims by understanding them. 

Harassment is one of the most common types of misconduct claims because this includes a pattern of behavior on the part of the officers or the entire department, such as surveilling or spying on you illegally, making racist, homophobic, or sexist comments, or racial profiling. It is very important to understand the specific circumstances of what happened and what was said or done to you because this information will come up as evidence. A second common type of police violation is a 4th amendment violation. 

Your 4th amendment rights include protection from unreasonable searches or seizures. Police are classified as agents of the government and therefore, must adhere to everything listed in the 4th amendment. When an officer violates your 4th amendment rights, such as arresting you without probable cause or searching your home without a valid warrant, this may impact the remainder of any criminal case against you but can also be considered subject to a lawsuit on its own. This can cause you to ask, "Can I sue the police department for violating my rights?"

Another common type of police misconduct case is known as excessive force. This is when you have sustained a serious injury or have had a loved one pass away due to excessive force from police officers. A victim or surviving family member must be able to show a couple of different elements, such that the amount of force used was completely unnecessary and that the officer would have been able to accomplish their goal without pursuing this. Another common type of police misconduct case is discrimination. 

This is similar to harassment, but it might be on the basis of sex, gender, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation, indicating that this behavior is part of an overall pattern. In addition to filing a civil lawsuit and suing the police department for violating your rights, you may also be able to file a complaint against the department entirely or against the officer. You would need to do this with the internal affairs section of the police department or go to the department of justice. At that point in time, the department of justice will investigate your claim and determine whether or not they want to continue with the investigation. They can file their own criminal or civil case against the law enforcement agency.