High Number of Stop and Frisks May Signal NY Civil Rights Violations

Stop and frisks in certain areas of New York heavily populated by African-Americans and Latinos result in a higher quantity of criminal charges and violations.

2010-12-11

December 11, 2010 (Press-News.org) Each year in New York City, the New York Police Department stops and frisks over 300,000 individuals. A likely civil rights violation, people who get stopped and frisked in East Harlem are the most likely to end up facing some level of criminal charge or violation. Approximately half of the people stopped in this area of New York either get arrested or hit with a summons. Only one other precinct, Harlem, in upper west Manhattan, has numbers over 40%

The average in New York City is 15%.

NYPD Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said the numbers in East Harlem were inflated because officers filled out stop-and-frisk reports when they didn't have to. New York civil rights violation attorney David Perecman would like to believe this statement is true.

"It's a constitutional right of American citizens to be free from unwarranted intrusions by government authorities. A police officer may legally stop and frisk an individual in an effort to reduce crime, but that officer must have a reasonable suspicion of illegal activity," said Perecman of New York, a civil rights violation attorney for over two decades.

There has been a growing perception over recent years that the NYPD has violated civil rights in an effort to achieve quantifiable law enforcement gains.

As New York civil rights violation attorneys understand, correct stop-and-frisks should result in felony and misdemeanor as opposed to an increase in the number of summonses issued. However, nearly 80% of those hit with charges in East Harlem got the lower level summons.

"Stop-and-frisk does not ever mean police have the ability to stop people for no reason. Then it becomes a violation in New York of civil rights," attorney Perecman added.

Recently reported in the news is that a civil liberties group filed a federal lawsuit challenging the use of stop and frisk searches by Philadelphia police. The civil liberties group argues that the policy violates the civil rights of certain minority groups. In New York, civil rights violation attorneys and advocates have also challenged the use of stop and frisk for reasons that include racial profiling, illegal stops and privacy rights.

"When used correctly by the NYPD, stop and frisk search can reduce crime and serve as an effective law enforcement tool. However, if individuals or groups of individuals continue to believe they have been subjected to discrimination or harassment that violated their New York civil rights," attorney Perecman said, "A big worry for the police should be that this controversial procedure can damage their relationship with the community, as well as bring civil rights violations cases against them."

About David Perecman and The Perecman Firm, PLLC:

For the past 30 years, the New York false arrest, excessive force by police, police negligence, and civil rights violation attorneys at The Perecman Firm, PLLC have championed all types of cases including civil rights violations. David Perecman, founded his Firm in 1983 after winning a $600,000*** verdict in an unlawful detention case. He is a Board Director and the past Secretary and Treasurer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and a chair of its Labor Law Committee. Mr. Perecman's achievements have brought him recognition as an Honoree in the National Law Journal's Hall of Fame, in New York Magazine's "The Best Lawyers in America" and The New York Times Magazine "New York Super Lawyers, Metro Edition" for the years 2007-2010.

The Firm has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. Among the more recent victories, Mr. Perecman won a $15 million verdict* for a construction accident, a $5.35 million dollar verdict** for an automobile accident, and a $40 million dollar structured settlement for medical malpractice****.

*later settled while on appeal for $7.940 million

** later settled for $3.5 million

*** later settled for $90,000.00

**** total potential payout

"Lawyer Advertising"

"Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome."

Article provided by Perecman & Fanning PLLC
Visit us at http://www.perecman.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Residents are Displaced to Avoid Possible Injuries in a Bronx Building

2010-12-11

The Department of Buildings officials discovered heavy industrial gear and construction debris blocking several fire escapes and exits in a Bronx building at 1204 Shakespeare Ave. For their safety, residents were forced to leave their unsafe building. This left about a hundred residents moving into several hotels around New York. While residents were upset having to move so close to the holidays, a number of New York personal injury lawyers agree that the New York Fire Department made a correct decision. "If a fire escape is blocked or improperly maintained, it can ...

Major Criteria Revision Pending: SSA Gathering Public Comments

2010-12-11

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has proposed major revisions to the criteria used to evaluate adult and child claims of mental disorders. This marks the first major revision of the Listings of Impairments since the 1985 release for adults and the first change since 1990 for children. The revisions are designed to be reflective of advances in medical technology, recommendations from the report, Mental Retardation: Determining Eligibility for Social Security Benefits, published in 2000, and public comments sought in a policy conference in 2003. Proposed Changes ...

Escalator Accident Near New York Injures 5

2010-12-11

Officials decided to close all 31 escalators at the Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station in New Jersey after an accident Sunday evening injured five people. Following a New York Jets game, fans were riding up a 25-foot-long escalator with it came to an abrupt stop. Some people who were on the escalator at the time lost their balance and fell. A man and a woman suffered head injuries, while the other three had knee and rib injuries. All were taken to local hospitals. According to an official, none of the escalator caused injuries were life-threatening. "What ...

March of Dimes 2010 Premature Birth Report Card

2010-12-11

New York received a "D" grade on the March of Dimes 2010 Premature Birth report card released Wednesday. Every year, approximately 31,187 are born premature in New York State, according to the organization. Premature birth is the leading cause of death in newborns, and one of the leading causes of infant deaths. Babies who are born premature and survive are at greater risk for lifelong health problems including cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, intestinal problems, respiratory problems, blindness and deafness. "Whenever babies are born prematurely, doctors must ...

The New York Police Department Starts Using Iris Scans on Suspects

2010-12-11

In a move questioned by the New York Civil Liberties Union and some of New York's top lawyers, the New York Police Department is now using machines to photograph and scan the irises of prisoners as they pass through New York Central Booking. The department claims that this new high-tech identification program is part of a failsafe measure meant to prevent escapes as suspects move through New York's complex and winding court system. Individuals deeply concerned with civil liberties and privacy, like New York top lawyer David Perecman, are uneasy with new regime of personal ...

The Constantly Changing Miranda Warning

2010-12-11

Anyone who has ever watched an episode of any police drama on television has heard the words "you have the right to remain silent" at some point. The 1966 U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona requires law enforcement officials to inform those arrested of their constitutional rights before any questioning takes place. Those rights include the right to remain silent, as well as the right to have an attorney present. In the past, the warning provided a clear picture of the rights that were granted to those in police custody. The warning meant what it said, giving ...

Black Boxes for Cars: Helpful or Potentially Problematic?

2010-12-11

As federal regulators consider issuing a requirement that automakers put black boxes in all vehicles, emerging reports indicate that the data recorders installed in Toyota vehicles are passing bad information. According to the New York Times, automotive websites have been reporting that the devices used to download data from the black boxes in Toyota cars and trucks have a software bug corrupting information about vehicle speed. Impossible Speed Doubts about Toyota data reliability arose after a readout from a Toyota pick-up truck indicated the vehicle had been ...

What Do Computer-Driven Cars Mean for Roadway Safety?

2010-12-11

We may not yet have the flying cars that countless movies have promised us -- it is 2010, after all -- but we are getting closer. Google has recently garnered significant media attention for the computer-driven cars it has been testing on the West Coast. Among the infinite possibilities that "robot cars" present, the legal issues that will arise when a computer-driven car is in a motor vehicle accident are complex. The Google Car Google cars -- Toyota Priuses equipped with cameras, sensors and other tools -- have traveled more than 140,000 miles with minimal human ...

What You Really Need to Know About Product Recalls

2010-12-11

Product recall alerts are nothing new. There are literally hundreds of product recalls every year, issued by state and federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). News programs are full of them, and entire websites are devoted to them, so what is an information-inundated consumer to do? The American Association of Poison Control Centers understands the confusion and concern that the slew of recalls ...

Wise to Insure Yourself Against Uninsured Drivers in Rhode Island

2010-12-11

Rhode Island has the highest percentage of uninsured drivers in New England. Therefore, it is important to add uninsured-motorist coverage to your auto-insurance policy before an accident with an uninsured driver puts a potentially big dent in your piggy bank. Uninsured Driver Statistics A study by the Insurance Research Council (IRC), a nonprofit division of the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the Insurance Institute of America, estimated that one in six drivers in the United States does not have car insurance. The IRC study ...

High Number of Stop and Frisks May Signal NY Civil Rights Violations

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: