With the rise in reports of police misconduct and brutality, New York citizens are wondering whether they have a right to film officers in action. According to the Legal Information Institute, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution allows freedom of speech, religion, press, expression, assembly and petitioning of the government to redress grievances. [...]
Police officers are responsible for protecting civilians, and most officers do a fantastic job of it. However, there are always going to be people who neglect their responsibilities and abuse their power—no matter their line of work. The Cato Institute explains that excessive force is the most common misuse of authority among officers of the [...]
The U.S. Constitution limits the actions police can take when enforcing the law. In New York, police officers regularly cross the legal boundaries, violating people’s basic human rights. The nation’s civil laws protect civilians from suffering abuse by governmental officials, and you are entitled to enforce your rights in a civil lawsuit. […]
The recent frenzy of reporting on police brutality highlights the prevalence of illegal search and seizure practices. While the Fourth Amendment entitles people to freedom and privacy from intruding government officials, the police still need to conduct searches in order to prevent crime. They may infringe on your privacy if they have justifiable belief that [...]
According to the New York Times, the city has forked out more than $500,000,000 to settle allegations of police brutality and misconduct among officers of the New York Police Department. This staggering sum has accumulated over the last five years, and it does not include any legal or administrative costs; however, the NYPD remains embroiled [...]
New York imposes tough penalties on those caught possessing drugs, and if convicted, you will likely pay penalties and face probation or even jail time, according to Human Rights Watch. While there are some legal defenses that effectively fight charges of drug possession, your prosecutor may also have a few tricks to improve his or [...]