Chicago, Illinois Civil Rights Lawyers

Experienced Attorneys Addressing Police Misconduct and Other Civil Rights Violations in Chicago, Illinois

The United States Constitution provides rights that protect people from government abuse and misconduct. When law enforcement officers or other government officials violate these rights, victims may suffer physical injuries, emotional trauma, and violations of their dignity and freedom. These abuses often occur despite clear legal protections because officers do not respect people's rights or because agencies fail to train, supervise, and discipline their employees. Victims of civil rights violations can take steps toward accountability with the help of an experienced attorney.

At Gallagher & Kosner Law, we represent people in Chicago who have suffered civil rights violations at the hands of police officers, corrections officers, and other government officials. Our legal team can investigate these incidents to gather evidence such as body camera footage and witness statements. We will fight to hold officers and government agencies accountable while seeking compensation that will address a victim's injuries, lost income, emotional distress, and other damages. These cases can also expose patterns of misconduct and push for reforms that will protect everyone's rights.

Excessive Force by Law Enforcement

The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures, which includes the use of excessive force during arrests or other encounters with police. Officers may use only the amount of force that is reasonable under the circumstances. The appropriate use of force may be based on factors such as the severity of the crime, whether the person poses an immediate threat, and whether they are actively resisting or attempting to flee.

Excessive force by police can take many forms. Officers may shoot unarmed people who pose no immediate threat, beat suspects who have already been subdued and handcuffed, deploy tasers against people who are not resisting, or use chokeholds and other dangerous restraint techniques. A person stopped for a minor traffic violation who is thrown to the ground, punched repeatedly, and kicked while offering no resistance can take steps to address excessive force regardless of whether they committed the underlying traffic offense.

These incidents often result in serious injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ damage, and, in the most tragic cases, wrongful death. The force used may be evaluated based on what the officer knew in the moment, rather than information learned afterward.

Dangerous and Unsafe Police Pursuits

High-speed police chases through Chicago's streets can put multiple people in danger, including suspects, officers, and innocent bystanders. When officers pursue vehicles in violation of policies that are meant to protect public safety, and those pursuits result in car accidents or other situations that cause injuries or deaths, the officers and their departments may be held liable for their unsafe actions.

Police pursuit policies typically require officers to weigh the need to apprehend a suspect against the risks created by high-speed chases. Pursuits for minor offenses like traffic violations are usually inappropriate, because the danger to the public outweighs the need to apprehend a suspect. Officers who continue chases at excessive speeds through densely populated neighborhoods, run red lights and stop signs during chases, or continue pursuing suspects after being ordered to end a chase may be responsible for harm caused during these chases.

Wrongful Arrests and False Imprisonment

The Fourth Amendment protects against arrests without probable cause. When officers arrest people without reasonable grounds to believe they committed crimes, or when arrests are based on false evidence, fabricated charges, or discrimination, this is a violation of a victim's constitutional rights.

Wrongful arrests can occur when officers misidentify suspects, arrest people simply because they were present in "high-crime" areas, rely on false accusations, or fabricate evidence to justify arrests. A person may be arrested because they match a vague description of a suspect, and they may be held in custody for hours or days and then released without charges when the actual perpetrator is found elsewhere. This is a serious constitutional violation.

False imprisonment claims may address a person's unlawful detention after a wrongful arrest. Time spent in jail cells, interrogation rooms, or police vehicles while a person has been wrongfully detained is a violation of their right to liberty. The damages in these cases may address lost wages, damage to a person's reputation, and emotional trauma related to the indignity and fear of being arrested and detained.

Illegal Interrogations and Coerced Confessions

The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination, and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees due process. When police officers coerce confessions through physical abuse, threats, or psychological manipulation, they violate a person's constitutional rights.

Illegal interrogation techniques may include beating suspects, threatening harm to family members, or depriving people of food, water, sleep, or medical care until they confess. Lengthy interrogations where officers refuse to honor a person's request for an attorney, continue questioning after a suspect invokes their right to remain silent, or take other illegal actions to produce false confessions may be addressed through civil rights claims.

People who are convicted based on coerced confessions or other illegal actions may be deprived of their liberty and forced to serve sentences in prison for crimes they did not commit. Even when convictions are later overturned, the years a person spent in prison cannot be returned to them. Civil rights claims can provide a person with compensation for the harm caused by wrongful convictions and imprisonment.

Abuse and Excessive Force in Jails and Prisons

The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, which means that police officers or corrections officers cannot use excessive force against inmates or people being held in detention. People in custody have constitutional protections against deliberate abuse.

Excessive force in correctional settings may include beatings by guards, sexual assault by staff members, using restraints as punishment, and deploying chemical agents like pepper spray against inmates who did not pose a threat. A person who is beaten by corrections officers for talking back or failing to comply with orders immediately can take steps to address these constitutional violations.

Civil rights claims may also address dangerous conditions in jails and prisons, including overcrowding, lack of sanitation, exposure to extreme temperatures, inadequate food, and other concerns that may affect the health and safety of inmates or detainees. When facilities house inmates in crowded cells, deny access to showers or clean clothing for extended periods, or subject people to freezing or dangerously hot conditions, they violate people's civil rights.

Denial of Medical Care in Custody

Inmates and pretrial detainees have a constitutional right to receive adequate medical care for their needs. In some cases, corrections officers or other officials may be deliberately indifferent to serious medical needs. They may ignore obvious symptoms of illnesses, delay in providing necessary medical treatment, refuse to call for emergency medical assistance when needed, or withhold prescribed medications.

Other violations may involve pregnant women who are denied prenatal care, people with chronic conditions like diabetes who do not receive insulin, inmates who are not provided with the proper treatment when suffering withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, and detainees with mental health crises who receive no treatment all. Injuries or deaths that occur due to a failure to provide medical care may be addressed through civil rights claims.

Pursuing Justice for Victims of Civil Rights Violations

Our legal team investigates civil rights violations by obtaining evidence such as police reports, arrest records, jail logs, medical records, body camera and dashboard camera footage, and witness statements from people who observed incidents. We can file Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain department policies, training materials, disciplinary records, and other documents that establish patterns of misconduct.

We work with medical specialists and other professionals who can provide opinions about whether an officer's conduct violated constitutional standards. These experts can help juries understand why certain actions were unreasonable and how they violated people's rights.

Damages available in civil rights cases may include compensation for physical injuries and medical treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and trauma, and, in cases involving particularly egregious conduct, punitive damages against officers, police departments, or other government organizations. We work to protect the rights of our clients and help them achieve justice for the violations of their rights, safety, and dignity.

Contact Our Chicago, IL Civil Rights Violations Attorneys

If your rights have been violated by police officers, corrections personnel, or other government officials, the attorneys at Gallagher & Kosner Law can help you pursue accountability and fight for financial compensation. Contact our Chicago civil rights attorneys at 312-910-5050 for a free consultation.