Do I have an extortion case against the police?
One officer told the other in the police car if I didn’t have a valid driver’s license they could get lots of cash money from me.
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Solved
The first thing you can do is file a complaint directly with that law enforcement agency because of their misconduct.
If you can’t get relief there, you should strongly consider contacting the Department of Justice (www.justice.gov). The DOJ has handled police misconduct for many years. They investigate physical assaults, sexual assaults, and cases where police officers fail to intervene.
If you can’t find relief there, you could also start a Section 1983 claim. A Section 1983 claim says that every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory, subjects or causes to be subjected any person to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws.
Local governments, municipalities, and individual municipal agents acting in official capacities may be liable.
Generally, the remedies include:
- Damages for emotional distress, embarrassment, impairment of reputation, and humiliation.
- Actual and nominal (like $1) damages.
- Punitive damages where there has been a willful or malicious violation or where the defendant acted with evil motive or reckless and callous indifference (note: municipalities are immune from punitive damages).
- Injunctive relief — meaning a court could order a municipality to start or stop doing something.
Please let me know if this has answered your question fully. My goal is to ensure you’re completely satisfied with my service. Feel free to return here with additional questions or comments if you need more information. Thank you sincerely for your question and for using AskaLawyer as your source for legal information.
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Do I have a case on attempted extortion by police department?
Lexi, Chatbot
I understand that dealing with a situation involving attempted extortion by a police department can be very distressing. Can you provide more details about the specific incident that led you to believe this was attempted extortion?
One officer told the other in the police car if I didn’t have a valid driver’s license they could get lots of cash money from me.
Lexi, Chatbot
Have you already taken any steps, such as filing a complaint or seeking legal advice regarding this matter?
Not yet.
Lexi, Chatbot
Is there anything else the lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured they’ll be able to help with your attempted extortion case.
Yes.
Legal Eagle
Hello! Legal Eagle here, and I am an attorney specializing in your area of law. I am more than happy to help you with your situation!
Did you ever pay them any money?
No, I did not.
Legal Eagle
Thanks for letting me know. Could you tell me where this incident took place? Also, could you provide more details about what happened during the encounter with the police officers?
Pendergrass City Police. I got pulled over for a taillight. They asked if I had a driver’s license. I gave them an ID, explained I ordered a taillight and was just waiting for it to arrive — that’s why I put red tape over the broken part. One officer told the other in their car that if my license was suspended, they could get lots of cash money from me. They saw it was valid and then said to see if they could get me for a broken windshield, tires, or headlight.
Legal Eagle
Thanks for sharing those details. Were there any witnesses present during this encounter, or do you have any recordings or evidence of what was said by the officers?
Legal Eagle
So I haven’t heard back from you in a while on this, which is no big deal! Without the information I asked for, I can only give you this general answer:
Legal Eagle
The first thing you can do is file a complaint directly with that law enforcement agency because of their misconduct.
If you can’t get relief there, you should strongly consider contacting the Department of Justice (www.justice.gov). The DOJ has handled police misconduct for many years. They investigate physical assaults, sexual assaults, and cases where police officers fail to intervene.
If you can’t find relief there, you could also start a Section 1983 claim. A Section 1983 claim says that every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory, subjects or causes to be subjected any person to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws.
Local governments, municipalities, and individual municipal agents acting in official capacities may be liable.
Generally, the remedies include:
- Damages for emotional distress, embarrassment, impairment of reputation, and humiliation.
- Actual and nominal (like $1) damages.
- Punitive damages where there has been a willful or malicious violation or where the defendant acted with evil motive or reckless and callous indifference (note: municipalities are immune from punitive damages).
- Injunctive relief — meaning a court could order a municipality to start or stop doing something.
Please let me know if this has answered your question fully. My goal is to ensure you’re completely satisfied with my service. Feel free to return here with additional questions or comments if you need more information. Thank you sincerely for your question and for using AskaLawyer as your source for legal information.
Legal Eagle
Did you have any other details you needed addressed or any other concerns in general?
Legal Eagle
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