The Bane Act: California’s Civil Rights Law and the Fight Over Intent
Most people think suing the police is purely a federal thing. In California there is a second, often stronger path: the Bane Act. But it turns on a hard question that decides most of these cases, whether we can prove the officer meant to violate your rights. When people picture suing the police, they picture […]
Can Police Handcuff You or Put You in the Patrol Car During a Traffic Stop?
Almost everyone knows an officer can tell you to step out of your car. Far fewer know where that authority stops. Can they frisk you? Handcuff you? Lock you in the back of the patrol car? The line between a lawful stop and an arrest runs right through those three questions. “Step out of the […]
Violation of Constitutional Rights: What It Means and What You Can Do
A violation of constitutional rights occurs when a government actor, such as a police officer, prosecutor, or other public official, infringes on a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution or the California Constitution. That includes searching you without a valid warrant or exception, arresting you without probable cause, using excessive force, or denying you due […]
How to Refuse a Police Search of Your Car (and Take Back Consent)
Police do not need a warrant, probable cause, or even a good reason to search you, if you say yes. Consent is the easiest way around your rights, which is why officers are so good at getting it without you realizing you gave it. Of all the ways police get to search someone, consent is […]
Can You Sue a Police Officer for Defamation of Character?
False statements can damage your reputation, cost you work, strain family relationships, and follow you online or in public records long after an incident ends. When those statements come from a police officer, the harm can feel even more serious because people often assume an officer’s words are true. So, can you sue a police […]
No Ticket, No Arrest, Still a Case: What a Wrongful Police Stop Is Worth
They pulled my client over, found nothing, wrote no ticket, made no arrest, and sent him on his way in about 17 minutes. That case resolved for $295,000. Here is why a stop that “ended in nothing” can still be worth serious money. The most common thing people say when they call me about a […]
Can Police Search Your Car Without a Warrant in California?
Police pulled my client over for a dark license plate, then searched his whole car and found nothing. A traffic stop is not a search warrant. When police can actually search your vehicle without one, and when they cannot, is narrower than most people think. One of the most common questions I get is some […]
Examples of Civil Rights Violations by Police and What You Can Do
No one should have to accept abuse of power as normal. Police officers have authority, but that authority has limits. When officers use that power to unlawfully arrest someone, use excessive force, search without justification, fabricate facts, or push a case forward without probable cause, the harm can follow a person for years. Understanding common […]
Can Your Criminal Record Be Used Against You at a Traffic Stop?
Police pulled my client over for a dark license plate. The moment they saw he had a record, the questions stopped being about the plate. The law requires something specific before police can go fishing, and your past is not part of it. There is a moment in a lot of my cases that never […]
Protection Against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures: Know Your Constitutional Rights
Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures is one of the most important rights a person has when dealing with police. It protects your privacy, home, body, car, and belongings from unjustified government intrusion. In Los Angeles and across California, these protections matter during traffic stops, arrests, home searches, phone searches, and any encounter where officers […]