North Jersey Civil Rights Lawyers
Police Misconduct • Corporate Practices • Housing and Lending
The individual rights spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New Jersey Civil Rights Act and other legislation apply to every person. Police, employers, landlords and businesses can be held liable for interfering with or conspiring to deny these basic protections.
Were You Deprived of Your Rights?
Free Case Evaluation at 973-607-4694
Se Habla Español
The Morris County, New Jersey law firm of Bell & Hassing is a strong advocate for victims of civil rights violations. Our lawyers have secured settlements or damages at trial in a wide range of claims:
Police Misconduct
Law enforcement and corrections officers (and their employers) can be held to pay for depriving citizens or prison inmates of their right to due process and humane treatment in custody. You may have a claim for:
- False arrest — We won damages for a client who was mistakenly arrested on a warrant that had been canceled several years earlier.
- Imprisonment without due process for probation or parole violations
- Excessive force
- Denial of critical medical care or medication
- Unlawful stops or searches (e.g., racial profiling)
Discriminatory Business Practices
We have handled a number of civil rights actions relating to corporate policies, regulations or actions that unfairly target minorities:
- A taxi company discriminated against foreigners, making English its official language and setting unreasonable limits on the age of cabs.
- A mall security guard followed a woman and blocked her car in to stop her, on no other suspicion than her race.
- A group of 26 illegal aliens was found to be confined in the basement of a business, in squalid conditions with no heat or air conditioning.
Housing and Lending Discrimination
We can take cases involving discrimination in apartment rentals, or predatory lending practices that reject applications by minorities or take advantage of them through higher interest rates and adverse loan terms.
Experienced and Qualified
Bell & Hassing has both initiated civil rights lawsuits and defended them, in state and federal courts of New Jersey. For example, we have represented police offices accused of misconduct. Joseph Bell Jr. has practiced for over 20 years, and has served on the New Jersey Supreme Court's Model Civil Jury Charges Committee to recommend jury instructions in civil rights and employment discrimination cases.
Contact our Rockaway office at 973-607-4694 to arrange a consultation with our civil rights lawyers. We can make weekend appointments, and have a Spanish-speaking paralegal on staff.
