You’ve never had any dealings with law enforcement until now. You suddenly find yourself facing criminal charges and are worried about both the long and short-term consequences. Ultimately, you could end up in jail, lose your job and not see your family for some time.
You hold law enforcement in high regard but feel they have acted inappropriately in your case. The majority of police officers do good work and follow the rules to the best of their ability. Sadly, this isn’t always the case though. Outlined below are some of the more common forms of police misconduct.
Racial profiling
No matter what your race, ethnic background or creed is, the police are not entitled to discriminate against you. To arrest and charge you, the police must have either a probable cause or a valid arrest warrant. If you have been arrested on the sole basis of your ethnicity or any other protected characteristic, then this could amount to discrimination and police misconduct.
Falsifying evidence
Law enforcement may suspect that you committed the crime, but they have a lack of evidence to present to the prosecution. Occasionally, the police will break protocol in an attempt to strengthen their case. For instance, they may lie or exaggerate when giving testimony in courts. Not only is this immoral, but it is unlawful. Police have to give testimony under oath which means they are not permitted to lie in court.
If law enforcement have acted inappropriately in your case then it’s important that this is brought to light. Having an experienced legal guidance behind you during your case will help ensure that this happens and justice is served.