If you or someone you love has been subject to police misconduct, which can range from racial profiling to unlawful searches, there are ways for you can get compensation for those damages. Hiring police misconduct lawyers can give you access to legal professionals who will be able to properly represent you in a case against the offending officers.
What is a Police Misconduct Lawyer?
The best police misconduct lawyers in Oklahoma help victims of police misconduct or brutality seek legal consequences and compensation. These situations can include:
- Unnecessary harassment by police officers;
- Civil rights violations;
- False arrests;
- Police misconduct and racial profiling; and/or
- Police misconduct which resulted in injury and/or death.
What Does a Police Misconduct Attorney Do?
An Oklahoma police misconduct attorney has many jobs, mostly to do with filing paperwork, communicating with all parties, and legally representing you. This can include:
- Determining a remedy for civil rights violations, like criminal prosecution of the police officer responsible;
- Determining a remedy for a civil rights lawsuit such as demanding monetary damages or an injunction;
- Filing a complaint with the internal affairs department for the police department responsible;
- Ensuring the victim receives immediate medical care and ongoing medical treatment as necessary;
- Advising their client about their legal rights and options;
- Working to collect evidence for criminal charges or lawsuits; and
- Filing lawsuits and representing individuals in court.
When Should You Hire a Police Misconduct Lawyer from at Oklahoma?
If you have been the victim of police misconduct, you should consider hiring a civil rights attorney. This can include unlawful detention, racial profiling, illegal searches, unjustified deadly force, perjury, false imprisonment, or police intervention without probable cause. A civil rights attorney can file a misconduct lawsuit against police officers, county sheriffs, or officers who work for other law enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They can help you get compensation for your loss of liberty and violated rights.
How to Find a Lawyer for Police Misconduct
There are many ways for you to find a lawyer for police misconduct in Oklahoma, including local searches in your area, talking to your local Chamber of Commerce, or asking for referrals from those who have also used police misconduct lawyers. Other options include:
- The American Bar Association can help you find good lawyers in your area who are qualified to take on cases about police misconduct;
- Resources such as LawInfo can help you find police misconduct attorneys in your area; and
- Several services specifically help victims of police misconduct find referrals in their area from qualified attorneys.
How Should I Choose a Police Misconduct Attorney from Oklahoma?
Choosing a police misconduct attorney is an important decision and there are many factors you want to consider.
Trust and Communication
First and foremost, when your civil liberties have been violated, it can be difficult to trust anyone again, especially people who have a position of authority. This is why you need to work with a lawyer you trust. They should be able to answer all of your questions honestly and respond to you in a timely manner, no matter how busy they are. You need a lawyer who will communicate with you regularly as your case proceeds, giving you honest responses to your calls or emails.
Experience
You always want to choose an attorney with the right level of experience. Cases involving police misconduct represent a specific legal field, so you should not settle for a lawyer who only has experience with debt relief or unpaid wages. Choose someone who regularly represents people who have been discriminated against by law enforcement officers.
Location
You also want to choose an attorney who can practice in your area. Lawyers are only allowed to practice in states where they have passed the bar. It's always best to find a lawyer who is skilled at handling police misconduct in your area. In addition, having someone who is local, or at least in your state, also makes it easier to communicate.
On Average, How Much Does a Police Misconduct Lawyer Cost Oklahoma?
In many police misconduct cases, an attorney will charge a flat fee for their services, which covers a legal consultation, document preparation, and court representation. When charging a flat fee, attorneys will either charge the entire fee upfront or charge the fee as a percentage of the settlement after your case is concluded. This means that you will not have to pay for personal injury legal options, unless the lawyer gets you compensation for things like excessive force or police brutality.
In other cases, a lawyer for police misconduct from Oklahoma will charge an hourly rate for their services. When charging by the hour, lawyers will explain their rates for each individual who contributes to your case. As an example, it may be broken down as follows:
- $300 per hour for attorneys;
- $100 per hour for paralegals;
- $30 per hour for secretarial services;
- $.10 per copied page;
- etc.
Based on this breakdown, you will know the rates for the different services provided prior to the case beginning. Usually, the attorney on your case will allocate more administrative tasks to an administrative or egal assistant and certain legal tasks to the paralegal. Prior to engaging in hourly billing with your legal team, you must ask about their payment requirements. Some attorneys who charge hourly rates have very strict rules that stipulate you must pay within 30 days of receiving a bill or they will pause all legal services on your behalf. However others have stipulations that you must pay within 90 days of receiving a bill, or work out some sort of repayment plan.
Do Police Misconduct Attorneys Typically Charge for Consultations?
Usually, an Oklahoma police misconduct lawyer will provide a free consultation. However, you should confirm this prior to agreeing to a consultation. This consultation will allow the attorney to verify whether you have grounds for a legal case and, if you do, determine whether your case is a good fit for the law firm.
