Civil Rights

Whether you are attending a rally or simply running errands, you may encounter a member of law enforcement. While being polite may help you avoid a conflict, you have no general legal obligation to respect the police. Still, disrespectful behavior may lead to an unlawful arrest. If you believe an officer has arrested you for simply not being respectful enough, you may have a valid civil rights claim for this type of police misconduct. How respect-related arrests happen Regrettably, there are many new reports about officers making up facts to support arrests. These reports indicate that...

There are many civil rights that people have including: The right to vote The right to a public education The right to have an attorney represent you The right to use governmental services The right to an unbiased and fair trial And many others Of all the civil rights, the most common civil rights cases arise from situations that include: Housing discrimination Government discrimination Employment discrimination Of these, one that you may be most concerned about is discrimination through the government, or, put more casually, being discriminated against by the police. False arrests, false...

If you've ever worried about how you would be treated as a result of the color of your skin or other aspects of how you look, then you may be concerned about racial profiling. Racial profiling takes place when you're treated unfairly and targeted as a result of your perceived race, national origin, religion or ethnicity. There is no question that racial profiling is illegal. It sometimes violates the very core of the United States Constitution, which guarantees people the right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Racial profiling is also ineffective, leading to whole...

Protecting your civil rights is very important, but if you're not quite sure what your civil rights are, you wouldn't be the first to ask. Civil rights include the right to be free from discrimination based on protected features, the right to practice any religion you choose and the right to free speech. Americans are also given rights such as the freedom of the press, the right to a trial by jury, the right to assemble and the right to petition the government. In fact, there are many rights granted to the American people, and it's smart to be informed about them. Your civil rights are...

To know if your civil rights have been violated, you need to know what they are. Civil rights refer to the rights citizens have to social and political freedom. Civil rights guarantee equality, no matter who you are, what you look like or where you come from. There are many different types of civil rights. Some include the right to vote and the right to certain government services. Others might include the right to a public education or the right to use public facilities. Other civil rights that are important in law are the right to a fair trial and protection against unfair treatment by the...

If you're accused of a crime, one of the things you need to be careful of is malicious prosecution. With a case of malicious prosecution, charges are maliciously filed against you with the goal of harassing you, causing intimidation or defaming you. The goal is to injure you. Malicious prosecution usually occurs when one person files false charges against another. For example, a person might choose to file charges against a political figure to hurt their chances of obtaining a position in the government. As you may or may not know, private citizens have the right to file lawsuits at any...

There are times when a conviction may not be fair or justified. Whether it's due to a biased jury or a miscarriage of justice based on a lack of evidence, it's very important that those who are facing a wrongful conviction or unjust conviction get the help they need to reverse it. If you believe that the guilty verdict was made in error, then you can seek a reversal of the conviction. Normally, you can do this through an appeal. Sometimes, you can do it through a writ. What is the likelihood of having a conviction overturned? It depends on the circumstances of your case, but in most...

Before you can tell if your civil rights have been violated, you need to understand what your civil rights are. The United States government protects many rights of its citizens. Interfering with those civil rights is a violation of the law and creates a situation where you can seek compensation from those who hurt you. Knowing your rights is important. Most laws that regulate civil rights are federal. These include laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Voting Right Act of 1965. Are civil rights...

Being arrested for a crime is never an easy situation to find yourself in, regardless of your circumstances. You might not know what to expect. You could be worried about how you will be treated. You also might get so nervous that you simply begin talking about what happened. Under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, you have the right to plead the fifth so that you don't incriminate yourself. One of the most important things you need to know about pleading the fifth is that if your case reaches trial, you do not have to testify if you choose not to do so. This means that...

Civil rights are rights that every person has in New York and the rest of the country. These rights protect you from various forms of discrimination, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, false arrest and more. When your civil rights are violated, you need to mount a case as soon as possible to protect yourself. Here's how you can determine if your civil rights have been violated. One of the most common signs that your rights were violated is when you are denied employment or a place of residence because of your race. Employers and owners of residences are not allowed to...