Police Misconduct in Alaska & How Our Lawyers Can Help

POLICE ABUSING POWER OR MISHANDLING EVIDENCE

Police officers have demanding and stressful jobs, and many of them are honest and hard-working people, but this should not excuse other bad actors from being held liable for the harm they cause in the line of duty. Police abusing power can cause severe, or even fatal, injuries to victims while also harming the public trust in law enforcement.

If you are a victim of police abusing power, mishandling evidence by law enforcement officers, or the misconduct of any law enforcement officer, it is imperative to get legal help soon. Your legal rights are protected under the Constitution of the United States. Still, you need to promptly counter the sophisticated strategies and preserve valuable evidence law enforcement will use to avoid taking responsibility and deflect blame for the harm you have suffered. Our trial lawyers can help you have illegally obtained evidence excluded from your criminal case. Because we focus our law practice on criminal defense and personal injury law, we can also hold cops and the cities, states, or counties that employ them accountable for their illegal or abusive behavior. In certain circumstances, it is possible to obtain financial compensation from an abuse of power.

If you have been hurt and need an experienced police misconduct lawyer in Alaska, please Contact Now or call at 907-262-9164, our experienced attorney in Anchorage and Soldotna, to learn more about how we can help you.

HOW POLICE CAN ABUSE POWER OR MISHANDLE THE EVIDENCE

Abuse of power by Police can include various forms of behavior. But skilled criminal defense attorneys can often use police intimidation to get criminal charges dismissed or even bring a civil claim against the police for financial damages. Some of the most common include:

  • False arrest. Often, the false arrest is associated with racial or other implicit bias profiling but can have a wide range of different motives. Coerced or forced or confessions can play a vital role.
  • Illegal search and seizure. The search and seizure procedure is considered unreasonable if it is happened without a search warrant, despite not falling under an exception to the warrant requirement.
  • Verbal abuse. This includes threats of violence and inappropriate comments about disability, race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation.
  • Excessive use of force. Excessive use of force may include unfair use of guns, tasers, pepper spray, stun guns, or nightsticks.
  • Wrongful shootings. An unlawful shooting is excessive use of force complaint but is more likely to result in fatal injuries or disabling.
  • Sexual abuse. While sexual abuse by police does affect both genders, women are specifically vulnerable to mistreatment in strip searches, coerced sexual encounters, groping, assault, or forcible rape.
  • Jail neglect and abuse. When confinement becomes imperative, law enforcement officers have an obligation to present water, food, and medical care while preventing injuries caused by another person.

POLICE MISCONDUCT CAN HAVE LIFELONG EFFECTS

If you have been the victim of highly illegal action by police and were wrongly accused, the effects are devastating, leaving you in an overwhelming position. Police officials may act maliciously against you and without probable reason. Victims of police misconduct often find their lives turned upside down. If you were the victim of police misconduct, you may have emotional damage and humiliation and suffering from physical injuries. You may suffer internal bleeding, broken bones, nerve damage, or organ damage. Spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury are also common and can cause lifelong disability.

Mental health effects can be significant. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, panic attacks, and depression can make it tough to complete daily activities and enjoy meaningful relationships with loved ones.

Financial concerns related to final medical expenses, funeral costs, and losing the deceased person's job only add to their trauma. If you trust law enforcement, whose officers have taken an oath to serve and protect you, and they abuse their power, do not feel hopeless; you are not alone. Our attorneys at Trial Guy will search for solid evidence to develop an aggressive case that will help you get reparations for violating your legal rights. Our attorneys have vast experience in all forms of police misconduct cases.

Finding Evidence to Support Your Case

Police misconduct cases are notoriously hard to prove. Attacking the credibility and character of the victim is commonplace, so you must work with a seasoned lawyer to gather much evidence to support your claim.

Types of evidence that might be helpful include:

  • Prison surveillance
  • Past misconduct complaints were filed against an officer
  • Bodycam footage
  • Testimony from witnesses who saw the abuse
  • Medical records showing the severity of injuries
  • Discovery
  • Extensive Investigation

You can assist build your claim by documenting the wrong done thoroughly while still fresh in your memory. Write down the incident details as you remember, capture photos of your injuries along with any associated property damage, and save any blood-stained or torn clothing that can support your case. Do not discuss your case with anyone other than your police misconduct attorney in Alaska, as statements posted on social media or made to friends can easily be misinterpreted.

IS POLICE MISCONDUCT A CIVIL OR CRIMINAL LEGAL MATTER?

Police misconduct can harm the honest, hard-working people of Alaska in several ways. Cops can illegally seize evidence in a criminal investigation, intentionally hide exculpatory evidence from the defense, or even plant evidence of a crime on a criminal defendant to enable prosecution. The police may even be unconsciously biased against someone accused of a crime. In the above instances of police misconduct, the misconduct is generally resolved in a criminal case after criminal charges have been filed. Other examples of police misconduct, such as excessive force, abuse and neglect, wrongful shootings, and the like, can result in damages where a person can be compensated financially for the harm they receive.

CONTACT NOW OUR POLICE MISCONDUCT ATTORNEY IN ANCHORAGE

The Law Office of Eric Derleth will safeguard the rights of those who unfair law enforcement officers have harmed. If you or your loved one have been a victim of police abuse or have lost a loved one due to the unlawful actions of law enforcement, we will fight to protect your rights and hold the parties liable for their actions.

If you have questions regarding your case and suspect that cops have illegally used their power against you in some way, and you are looking for a seasoned criminal and personal injury lawyer with over 25 years of experience to assist you in pursuing justice and obtaining compensation for your injuries or by having illegally obtained evidence excluded against you in a criminal trial, please call me at 907-262-9164. I am your police misconduct lawyer in Alaska, Attorney Eric Derleth, Serving Anchorage, Soldotna, Kenai, and the Palmer/Wasilla areas of Alaska. Call Today for Free Confidential Consultation!

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