This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
Excessive force can take many forms, ranging from unnecessary physical violence to the misuse of tasers, batons, or firearms. These incidents can lead to severe injuries, wrongful deaths, and long-lasting psychological trauma.
Proving Excessive Force You do not have to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt, but only by a preponderance of the evidence, essentially showing the excessive force “more likely than not” occurred.
Any unjustified escalation of force violates the civil rights of the individuals involved. Excessive force can take many forms, ranging from unnecessary physical violence to the misuse of tasers, batons, or firearms.
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the use of excessive force in the course of an arrest, investigatory stop, or other seizure. Excessive force by a law enforcement officer is force that is objectively unreasonable under the circumstances.
The Constitution, through the Fourth Amendment, protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. The Fourth Amendment, however, is not a guarantee against all searches and seizures, but only those that are deemed unreasonable under the law.
Other well-established exceptions to the warrant requirement include consensual searches, certain brief investigatory stops, searches incident to a valid arrest, and seizures of items in plain view.
Excessive force is generally prohibited by the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments.