Civil Rights Law

All individuals have specific civil rights which are guaranteed by both our California and Federal Constitutions.  Those rights include remaining free from violence, discrimination, prejudice, and inequality. With years of experience representing clients in these matters, Louanne Masry has earned an accomplished reputation in protecting the civil rights of individuals in both the California State and Federal Courts.

Louanne Masry has successfully assisted clients who’ve had experiences with State or Federal organizations violating their civil rights. She’s participated in notable settlements and verdicts in cases involving:

 

Excessive Force

• Excessive force as a term refers to situations in which government officials, who are legally entitled to use force in some cases, exceed the minimum amount of force necessary to diffuse an incident or to protect themselves or others from harm. Incidents pertaining to excessive force can take many different forms and provide a wide range of cases. When excessive force involves law enforcement, especially during an arrest, it is often referred to as police brutality.
• The specific constitutional right to be protected from excessive force is derived from the reasonable search and seizure requirement of the Fourth Amendment and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment.
• Clients often find themselves in a position where recourse through a civil or federal court is the only viable option, but with hurdles like qualified immunity, the court system is no guarantee of success. Masry Law Firm is here to assist you in navigating the often rigorous and complicated legal proceedings that can ensue when filing against State or Federal agencies.

All individuals have specific civil rights which are guaranteed by both our California and Federal Constitutions.  Those rights include remaining free from violence, discrimination, prejudice, and inequality. With years of experience representing clients in these matters, Louanne Masry has earned an accomplished reputation in protecting the civil rights of individuals in both the California State and Federal Courts.

Louanne Masry has successfully assisted clients who’ve had experiences with State or Federal organizations violating their civil rights. She’s participated in notable settlements and verdicts in cases involving:

 

Excessive Force

• Excessive force as a term refers to situations in which government officials, who are legally entitled to use force in some cases, exceed the minimum amount of force necessary to diffuse an incident or to protect themselves or others from harm. Incidents pertaining to excessive force can take many different forms and provide a wide range of cases. When excessive force involves law enforcement, especially during an arrest, it is often referred to as police brutality.
• The specific constitutional right to be protected from excessive force is derived from the reasonable search and seizure requirement of the Fourth Amendment and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment in the Eighth Amendment.
• Clients often find themselves in a position where recourse through a civil or federal court is the only viable option, but with hurdles like qualified immunity, the court system is no guarantee of success. Masry Law Firm is here to assist you in navigating the often rigorous and complicated legal proceedings that can ensue when filing against State or Federal agencies.

False Arrest and Imprisonment

• False arrest, also known widely as false imprisonment or wrongful arrest, takes place when a person wrongfully holds you against your will or takes you into custody. Contrary to popular knowledge, this crime can actually be committed by both a law enforcement agency and private persons by acting beyond or outside of the scope of their delineated authority.
• What constitutes a false arrest? Specifically this can be defined as someone who intentionally and/or wrongfully limits or restricts another person’s personal freedoms against the victim’s consent.

First Amendment Protections

• There are five freedoms provided to you by the First Amendment: 1. Freedom of Religion 2. Freedom of Speech 3. Freedom of the Press 4. Right to Assembly 5. Right to Petition the Government.
• If you take away the protections of the First Amendment, the potential arises for situations such as: religious minorities facing persecution, protesters being silenced through various means without the avenue for any kind of legal recourse, a person or the press being unable to openly criticize the government and hold it to account, and citizens not being able to mobilize for social change on their own legally-afforded terms.