California Police Misconduct Lawyers
People who've been arrested still have all the same rights they did before the arrest. Unfortunately, all too often the police choose to ignore those rights. Abuse of police power is a serious matter that affects people beyond the victim and his or her family. Without the rule of law, the values that police seek to protect are meaningless. Police brutality, denial of civil rights and other misconduct by police undermines our Constitution.
Police misconduct can and is criminally prosecuted, but sometimes that's not possible or not enough. In many cases, victims can also hold the rogue officers accountable through a police misconduct lawsuit as well. Types of misconduct that could be appropriate for a lawsuit include:
- Unnecessary use of force
- Failure to read suspect's Miranda rights
- False imprisonment
- Planting evidence
- Illegal searches
- Seizure of property not related to any crime
In a police misconduct lawsuit, you can win compensation for misconduct by police, loss of your property and any time you spent in jail or prison for crimes you never committed. Perhaps more importantly, you can send a message to police that brutality and civil rights violations won't be tolerated in your community.
Panish Shea & Boyle has extensive experience with the complexities of suing a government agency. We've won several lawsuits against governments and municipal organizations, including a $21 million verdict in Dominguez v. City and County of San Francisco. Our attorneys are also currently involved in multiple lawsuits against the Hewlett-Packard Company for the company's illegal spying on journalists.
The attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle are national leaders among trial attorneys. Our attorneys have won several record-setting verdicts and take leadership roles in complex class action or national lawsuits. All of our lawyers are active in professional organizations, and our partners frequently write and speak to other attorneys about trial practice and legal specialties. Name partners have been repeatedly nominated for or awarded honors such as Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Police Misconduct Verdicts & Settlements
- Pogosyan v. Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) $13,000,000
Pogosyan lost her leg above the knee and suffered severe internal injuries when a car being chased by Southern California Rapid Transit District struck her while she was getting out of her car. The jury awarded $22 million in the pedestrian accident case, resulting in a $13 million award following liability adjustment.
