Police Misconduct

The United States Constitution guarantees our fundamental freedoms. Yet every day, police misconduct strips individuals of their constitutional rights. Such misconduct can deprive people of their freedom and dignity and permanently injure their minds and bodies. When police officers engage in misconduct, their victims can turn to the law for redress.

Our Practice

Handley Farah & Anderson is committed to seeking justice for victims of police misconduct who were denied their constitutional freedoms. Through a broad range of lawsuits, our lawyers have held police officers accountable for abusive practices, secured millions of dollars for those injured by them, and helped protect our constitutional rights to life and liberty.

Types of Civil Rights Claims

Police misconduct consists of improper actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. It encompasses a broad range of inappropriate conduct and can take countless forms. Some of the most common forms of police misconduct include:

  • False Arrest: A false arrest occurs when police officers detain someone without probable cause – that is, without sufficient reason to believe the person committed a crime.
  • Malicious Prosecution: Malicious prosecution occurs when police officers initiate a criminal prosecution against a person without probable cause.
  • Unlawful Searches and Seizures: Unlawful searches and seizures include warrantless searches of homes, unreasonable strip searches, and unjustified stops and frisks.
  • Excessive Force: Excessive force is the use of unreasonable violence by police officers. It often causes physical injury and can take the form of shocking brutality, sometimes resulting in death.
  • Violations of Due Process: Due process violations deprive people of the fair administration of justice. Two forms of due process violations by police officers are the fabrication of evidence and the failure to disclose exculpatory information.
  • First Amendment Retaliation: First Amendment retaliation occurs when police officers punish people for exercising their right to freedom of speech. A common form is the arrest of people who are peacefully protesting.

We are lawyers who seek to improve the world. We fight for: workers deprived of wages, consumers deceived about products, tenants denied access to housing, farmers mistreated by processors, parents deprived of adequate parental leave, investors who were defrauded, small businesses harmed by antitrust violations, persons with disabilities denied access, whistleblowers who uncover fraud, and women and communities of color subject to discrimination.

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1201 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 200K
Washington, DC 20036
202-559-2433

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