Illinois police misconduct attorneys are not surprised at the findings reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Chicago civil rights lawyers found on a survey reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and conducted by the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority that about 21 percent of police officers in the state reported seeing at least one fellow officer use more force than necessary to apprehend a suspect. The study also found that 5.7% of officers had seen another officer cover up excessive force and 8.5% of officers had knowledge of an officer failing to report the use of excessive force. It is important to note that the Chicago police force refused to participate in this study. With the often reported problems of police brutality on the largest police force in the state these statistics may be too low to reflect the true occurrence of excessive force by Illinois police officers.
It is also important to remember that police misconduct is more than just police brutality or excessive force. The term refers to any unprofessional actions taken by an officer in the course of his or her official business that results in a wrongful conviction or in a denial of rights to the injured party. Therefore, in addition to police brutality, police misconduct may include allegations of racial profiling, sexual assault, tampering or falsifying evidence and police corruption where officers pursue or don’t pursue a case in exchange for money.
Legal Remedies: Civil Rights and Negligence Claims
All forms of police misconduct are serious. As a society, we cannot allow the police officers whom we entrust to keep order and peace in our communities to harm suspects, treat groups of citizens unfairly or pursue cases for their own financial gain. As individuals, we should not be denied the constitutional and statutory rights to which we are entitled.
The attorneys at Dolan Law Offices recognize how serious police misconduct is to the individuals who are harmed and to our society. They, therefore, represent plaintiffs in civil rights actions and personal injury lawsuits against police officers, police departments, towns, cities and the state of Illinois.
A potential plaintiff may have a claim pursuant to Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act if:
- The police officer was acting under the authority of state law; and
- The police officer denied the plaintiff the protections of the U.S. Constitution or federal law.
A potential plaintiff may also have a personal injury or wrongful death claim if:
- The police officer owed the plaintiff a duty of care;
- The police officer breached that duty of care by failing to act like a reasonable officer would have acted given the situation;
- The police officer’s actions caused the person’s injuries; and
- The plaintiff is entitled to damages pursuant to state law.
Hire an Illinois Police Misconduct Attorney
An experienced Illinois police misconduct attorney can help you determine which cause(s) of action you may have and what the potential damages are if you are successful in your lawsuit.
Dolan Law Offices represents victims of police misconduct throughout Illinois and the greater Chicagoland area, including Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, McHenry County, and Will County, and the towns of Aurora, Addison, Chicago Heights, Joliet, Hillsdale, Plainfield, Rolling Meadows, Des Plains, Schaumburg, Palatine, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Hanover Park, Streamwood, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Wheaton, Waukegan, Inverness, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Elgin, Bartlett, Itasca, Bloomingdale and Oak Park.
Please contact us today for a free consultation. The Chicago police misconduct attorneys of Dolan Law Offices will not collect a fee from you unless your case results in a monetary verdict or settlement.
