False Arrest of Licensed Masseuse Compounded by Alleged Abuse of Authority by Police in New York, Civil Rights Violation Lawyer Investigates

NEW YORK, NY, July 07, 2011

A false arrest in New York can be a humiliating and traumatic experience. New York civil rights lawyer David Perecman understands how New York City police can make the experience even more humiliating by abusing their authority.

In a false arrest lawsuit, licensed massage therapist Gabrielle Vignolini is claiming she was falsely arrested and then forced to clean an overflowing toilet at the police station before they would release her.

"For a person to be subjected to a degrading and humiliating experience at the hands of New York police officers while under arrest is unfathomable," said Perecman, a New York civil rights violation lawyer for over 30 years. "Police officers are employed to protect people from harm, not abuse them."

Vignolini said she was giving a fully-clothed friend a spa treatment at her workplace, a legitimate massage parlor in Queens, when cops raided her workplace and wrongly arrested her.

The police were apparently looking for illicit activities. In New York, massage parlors often operate as fronts for prostitution.

After the arrest, Vignolini and the spa owner remained in custody at the 120th Precinct station house for 22 hours in a "filthy, unhygienic cell" with a broken toilet that was "overflowing, causing water and waste to flood the cell's floor."

A New York police officer eventually told Vignolini, "You're not leaving until you clean that up," the lawsuit alleges. Vignolini says she was eager to leave so she did as she was told. The police did not even issue her a ticket, reported the New York Daily News.

"If the allegations are true, these NYPD officers overstepped their bounds of authority and this incident can definitely be regarded as a New York civil rights violation," lawyer Perecman said. "If a person is wrongfully arrested, their Constitutional rights are violated and he or she is entitled to file a false arrest lawsuit and seek compensation."

In New York, civil rights lawyers at The Perecman Firm provide expert legal counsel in cases such as false arrest, racial profiling, police brutality and other civil rights violations in New York. The civil rights violation lawyers have handled many cases that required a deep understanding of New York State and federal laws that protect an individual against violation of their civil rights.

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 handled all types of cases including civil rights violations. David Perecman, founder of the Firm, 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

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