Civil Rights Attorney NYC

The deadlines depend on who you’re suing:

• Claims against the City of New York, NYPD, or NYC employees:You must file a Notice of Claim within 90 daysof the incident. Then you have 1 year and 90 days to file your lawsuit in court.
• Federal civil rights claims under Section 1983: You have 3 yearsfrom the date of the violation.

These are hard deadlines. If you miss them, you lose your right to sue—no matter how strong your case is. That’s why it’s so important to contact me as soon as possible.

Yes. You can sue individual police officers under Section 1983 of the federal Civil Rights Act for violating your constitutional rights. You can also sue the City of New York itself if the misconduct resulted from NYPD policies, customs, inadequate training, or a pattern of tolerating abuse.

This is called “municipal liability,” and it’s important because the city has far more resources to compensate you than individual officers do.

Qualified immunity is a legal defense that protects police officers from being sued unless they violated a “clearly established” constitutional right. Basically, if there isn’t already a court case with nearly identical facts that said the officer’s conduct was unconstitutional, they might be immune from liability.

It’s a major obstacle in civil rights cases, but it’s not insurmountable. As someone who worked inside the system, I know how to argue around qualified immunity and build cases that overcome this defense. I also focus on municipal liability claims against the city, which aren’t protected by qualified immunity.

Nothing upfront. I work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay me unless I win your case. If we secure a settlement or verdict, I take a percentage of the recovery. If we don’t win, you don’t owe me anything.

This levels the playing field. You get experienced legal representation without having to come up with thousands of dollars you probably don’t have while you’re dealing with the aftermath of what happened to you.

During your free consultation, I’ll explain exactly how the fee structure works so there are no surprises.

Absolutely. In fact, you may have two types of claims:

• False arrest: If the police arrested you without probable cause, you can sue even if the charges were later dropped or you were acquitted.
• Malicious prosecution: If the police initiated or continued criminal proceedings against you without probable cause, and those charges were eventually dismissed or you were found not guilty, you can sue for malicious prosecution.

Just because you were arrested doesn’t mean the arrest was legal. Just because you were charged doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. I can help you clear your name and get compensated for what you went through.

Federal claims (usually Section 1983) allow you to sue in federal court for violations of your constitutional rights. While not all cases qualify to be filed federally, those that do, often result in higher payouts.

State claims are filed under New York Civil Rights Law and often include claims like malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, and assault. These are filed in state court (like Bronx Supreme Court or Kings County Supreme Court).

In many cases, I file both federal and state claims together to maximize your recovery. Each type of claim has different procedures, standards of proof, and potential damages. I’ll explain which claims apply to your situation during your free consultation.

Yes. Your past does not give police officers the right to violate your constitutional rights. Even if you have a criminal record, even if you were doing something illegal when the incident occurred, you still have the right to be free from excessive force, illegal searches, and false arrest.

I’ve represented many clients with criminal histories. What matters is what happened during this specific incident. Did the police have probable cause? Did they use excessive force? Did they violate your Fourth Amendment rights?

Your life has value, and you deserve dignity no matter what mistakes you’ve made in the past.

It varies. Some cases settle within 6 to 12 months, especially if the evidence is strong and the city wants to avoid a trial. Other cases can take 2 to 5 years if we have to go through discovery, depositions, and potentially trial.

I know that’s probably not the answer you want to hear. You’ve already been through enough, and waiting for justice feels unfair. But I promise you this: I will keep you informed every step of the way. You’ll never wonder what’s happening with your case. And I’ll work as efficiently as possible while building the strongest case to get you the justice you deserve.

Compensation depends on the specific facts of your case, but it can include:

• Economic damages: Medical bills, therapy costs, lost wages, property damage
• Non-economic damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation
• Punitive damages: In cases of especially egregious misconduct (though these are harder to get against the city)

I’ve seen settlements range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars depending on the severity of the misconduct and injuries. During your consultation, I’ll give you a realistic assessment based on my experience with similar cases and my knowledge of what the city typically pays.