What Relief Can I Obtain in an Illinois Civil Rights Violation Case?

 Posted on December 16, 2014 in Criminal Defense

When you have been a victim of a civil rights violation in Illinois, the effects on you and your family can be particularly hurtful. Whether your rights were violated by police officers who used too much force against you during an arrest, a hiring manager who considered your age, race, or national origin in making a decision not to hire you, or your employer who passed you over for a promotion, the damages and injuries you experience can be devastating. Both federal and state law provide remedies and damages and individuals can recover when their civil rights have been violated. The precise nature of the violation or violations will dictate what sort of remedies you can receive.

Injunctions and Orders

If a private employer has discriminated against you either as a job applicant or as an employee, a court can enter injunctions or orders requiring the employer to take certain remedial actions. These actions can be to stop any discriminatory practices, to take steps to ensure further discrimination does not occur, and (in some cases) to give you the position or promotion you were denied.

Actual Damages

In any civil rights suit, if you suffered actual damages, you can be compensated for the monetary losses you suffered. For instance, suppose that police were especially aggressive in arresting you and used force that was not justified under the circumstances. As a result, you not only had thousands of dollars in medical bills and rehabilitation costs but you also missed a number of weeks from your normal job and were required instead to work at a less-intense position. These are all losses that can be compensated. The entity or individual that violated your rights can be ordered to pay your medical bills and rehabilitation costs, the wages you lost, and other such losses.

Noneconomic Damages

Police brutality and other forms of discrimination can cause damages that run far deeper than cuts and bruises. As a result, courts are also permitted to award noneconomic damages to compensate you for mental pain and suffering as well as things like loss of enjoyment of life.  In some extreme cases involving civil rights violations, punitive damages – damages meant to punish the offender and deter others from doing similar activities – can be awarded.

Costs and Attorney’s Fees

In order to encourage individuals to bring suits for civil rights violations, after winning your case the judge can award you compensation for the costs and attorney’s fees you expended in bringing your case.

Contact Hal M. Garfinkel, Illinois Criminal Defense Attorney

When your civil rights have been violated, you need and deserve zealous advocacy from an experienced Chicago criminal defense attorney. Civil rights violations can cause significant monetary and psychological harm. Not only this, but civil rights violations can also result in unjust criminal convictions. Contact the Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney for assistance.  Hal M. Garfinkel is experienced in protecting the rights of clients and will ensure those who violated your civil rights do not profit from their actions.