The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution holds that no state, state agency or state employee can violate an individual’s rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution. A specific federal statute, 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, is the ignition that allows a lawsuit to be filed. The law allows for monetary compensation. Such cases frequently arise from:

• police abuse/ brutality cases (violation of the 4th Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures and 8th Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment)
• prisoner abuse by guards or injury to a prisoner where a guard, warden, member of prison staff has knowledge of impending injury to a prisoner (8th Amendment).

At Kreithen, Baron and Carpey, we believe that the hallmark of America’s civil rights is the protection from the State intruding upon its citizens. Individuals whose rights are violated have avenues that can be pursued to seek compensation for their injuries.