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AddressingPoliceMisconductLawsEnforced bytheDepartmentofJustice
Thevastmajorityofthelawenforcementofficersinthiscountryperformtheirvery difficultjobswithrespectfortheircommunitiesandincompliancewiththelaw. Evenso,thereareincidentsinwhichthisisnotthecase.Thisdocumentoutlines thelawsenforcedbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofJustice(DOJ)thataddress policemisconductandexplainshowyoucanfileacomplaintwithDOJifyou believethatyourrightshavebeenviolated. Federallawsthataddresspolicemisconductincludebothcriminalandcivil statutes.TheselawscovertheactionsofState,county,andlocalofficers, includingthosewhoworkinprisonsandjails.Inaddition,severallawsalso applytoFederallawenforcementofficers.Thelawsprotectallpersonsinthe UnitedStates(citizensandnoncitizens). EachlawDOJenforcesisbrieflydiscussedbelow.InDOJinvestigations,whether criminalorcivil,thepersonwhoserightshavebeenreportedlyviolatedisreferred toasavictimandoftenisanimportantwitness.DOJgenerallywillinformthe victimoftheresultsoftheinvestigation,butwedonotactasthevictim'slawyer andcannotgivelegaladviceasaprivateattorneycould. ThevariousofficeswithinDOJthatareresponsibleforenforcingthelaws discussedinthisdocumentcoordinatetheirinvestigationandenforcementefforts whereappropriate.Forexample,acomplaintreceivedbyoneofficemaybereferred toanotherifnecessarytoaddresstheallegations.Inaddition,morethanone officemayinvestigatethesamecomplaintiftheallegationsraiseissuescoveredby morethanonestatute.Whatisthedifferencebetweencriminalandcivil cases?Criminalandcivillawsaredifferent.Criminalcasesusuallyare investigatedandhandledseparatelyfromcivilcases,eveniftheyconcernthesame incident.Inacriminalcase,DOJbringsacaseagainsttheaccusedpersonina civilcase,DOJbringsthecase(eitherthroughlitigationoranadministrative investigation)againstagovernmentalauthorityorlawenforcementagency.Ina criminalcase,theevidencemustestablishproof"beyondareasonabledoubt," whileincivilcasestheproofneedonlysatisfythelowerstandardofa "preponderanceoftheevidence."Finally,incriminalcases,DOJseekstopunisha wrongdoerforpastmisconductthroughimprisonmentorothersanction.Incivil cases,DOJseekstocorrectalawenforcementagency'spoliciesandpracticesthat fosteredthemisconductand,whereappropriate,mayrequireindividualrelieffor thevictim(s). FederalCriminalEnforcement Itisacrimeforoneormorepersonsactingundercoloroflawwillfullytodeprive orconspiretodepriveanotherpersonofanyrightprotectedbytheConstitutionor lawsoftheUnitedStates.(18U.S.C.241,242)."Coloroflaw"simplymeans thatthepersondoingtheactisusingpowergiventohimorherbyagovernmental agency(local,State,orFederal).Alawenforcementofficeracts"undercolorof law"evenifheorsheisexceedinghisorherrightfulpower.Thetypesoflaw enforcementmisconductcoveredbytheselawsincludeexcessiveforce,sexual assault,intentionalfalsearrests,ortheintentionalfabricationofevidence resultinginalossoflibertytoanother.Enforcementoftheseprovisionsdoesnot requirethatanyracial,religious,orotherdiscriminatorymotiveexisted.What remediesareavailableundertheselaws?Violationsoftheselawsare punishablebyfineand/orimprisonment.Thereisnoprivaterightofactionunder thesestatutesinotherwords,thesearenotthelegalprovisionsunderwhichyou wouldfilealawsuitonyourown. FederalCivilEnforcement "PoliceMisconductProvision" ThislawmakesitunlawfulforStateorlocallawenforcementofficerstoengagein apatternorpracticeofconductthatdeprivespersonsofrightsprotectedbythe ConstitutionorlawsoftheUnitedStates.(42U.S.C.14141).Thetypesofconduct coveredbythislawcaninclude,amongotherthings,excessiveforce, discriminatoryharassment,falsearrests,coercivesexualconduct,andunlawful stops,searchesorarrests.Inordertobecoveredbythislaw,themisconductmust constitutea"patternorpractice"itmaynotsimplybeanisolatedincident.The DOJmustbeabletoshowincourtthattheagencyhasanunlawfulpolicyorthat JonathanM.Smith Chief
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