Since the death of George Floyd more than two years ago and the subsequent arrest and conviction of the police officers responsible for the incident, the New York state legislature has enacted several bills that protect the civil rights of those arrested in the state. In addition, New York’s governor has signed several executive orders that may also help those unlawfully detained or abused by police.
New York laws that could help your civil rights case
One of the most significant state laws affecting police misconduct cases involves the disclosure of police disciplinary records in certain circumstances. While chokeholds have previously been illegal in New York City, they are now a Class C Felony throughout the state. The third law bans individuals from summoning police via 911 because of perceived threats based on race, religion, etc.
Additional laws include:
- Police weapons discharge reporting
- Right to medical treatment during arrest
- Right to record police activity
- Expanded use of law enforcement body cameras
- Investigations of law enforcement misconduct
- Expanded reporting requirements regarding race, sex, ethnicity, and other pertinent statistics of charged individuals
Executive orders issued by the New York governor involve new requirements for modernizing police departments and a paid holiday recognizing the importance of Juneteenth. Two bills are still pending in the legislature.
Fighting civil rights violations
Even though the media has given civil rights violations a lot of attention over the past several years, police misconduct still occurs in many instances. If you believe that your rights have been violated during an encounter with law enforcement, you can take action and file a lawsuit.
Victims of police brutality may be able to get compensation for those actions. Actions like excessive force, wrongful arrest, malicious protection, and prisoner mistreatment can lead to an award.