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Where do we practice?
We help people anywhere in the United States. We are licensed in Illinois. But we also co-counsel with attorneys nationwide.
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The Law Offices of Blake Horwitz represents seriously injured persons and persons whose lives have been affected by Police Misconduct. Highly skilled in the area of police brutality cases, The Law Offices of Blake Horwitz consults regularly in this field.
Mr. Horwitz has had many successes in the field of Police Misconduct, including a:
Twenty Eight Million ($28,000,000.00) verdict
against the City of Chicago, the largest police brutality verdict in the Midwest.
Torture in Chicago:
Some time ago, police officers for the City of Chicago, under the control and supervision of Commander Jon Burge, used torture as a means to extract "confessions" from innocent people the officers arrested.
The officers used many techniques; from the application of electricity to putting a bag over the victim's head, officers would torture people until they said what the officers wanted them to say. Not only does this practice violate the constitution (Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment) but innocent people went to jail, while the actual perpetrators roamed the streets. At the Law Office of Blake Horwitz, we are working on these cases to vindicate the rights of those that suffered under this regime. |
Mr. Horwitz, with 17 years of litigation experience, practices in both Federal and State courts and has a wealth of experience in complex litigation as well as a savvy aptitude to win on behalf of his clients.
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Caithamer v. Village of Maywood.
$750,000 settlement for man beaten in jail by inmate.
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Medina v. City of Chicago
Largest settlement (1,800,000 million) in Illinois for police officers who placed highly intoxicated one handed man into back of police squadrol for two hours, causing death.
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Brown v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
$100,000.00 settlement for man who committed suicide in Jail.
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Oviedo v. City of Joliet, et al
$100,000.00 jury verdict for Hispanic man who was falsely arrested and criminally prosecuted for felony and misdemeanor crimes.
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Johnson v. Village of Willowbrook
Largest police misconduct verdict for pat-down search in Illinois: $112,000.00 for woman who was searched (over the clothes) by two Caucasian police officers because she had expired license plates.
For more information, please call
The Law Offices of Blake Horwitz at: 312-616-4433
A long time legal advocate of individual rights, Mr. Horwitz has been recognized, featured and consulted as an authority on civil rights litigation through television, print and radio media, resulting in substantial exposure from a wide variety of high-profile cases.
Some Especially Interesting Cases Presently Pending in the Office
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12 lawsuits filed against the city of Blue Island in one day.
The Law offices of Blake Horwitz filed 12 lawsuits against the city of Blue Island,
alleging excessive force and false arrest. This approach contributed to
the cause of a dramatic reduction in police misconduct in the community.
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12 Plaintiffs filed class action lawsuit against the Village of Stone Park
Class action, on behalf of 900 men, was filed against the Stone Park Police.
The lawsuit alleges criminal RICO violations against the police illegal
arrests that made just to generate money for the village. The arrests
concern false allegations that men were soliciting a prostitute.
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Burns et al v. Minneapolis Police Department, et al.
Choked an African American man to death during an arrest, while the man did not resist the officer.
Torture Cases:
- Chicago police officers systematically tortured innocent people, coercing
false testimony, resulting in their convictions.
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At the Law Offices of Blake Horwitz, we also help those who have been
wrongfully convicted.
WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS
Many people have been charged with a crime, wrongfully. If police officers had no legal basis for charging you with a crime and you were found guilty, then you have been wrongfully convicted. At the Law Offices of Blake Horwitz, we prosecute police officers who have wrongfully convicted innocent people.
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A civil rights case consists of those cases which protect the rights of people, where the rights are derived from constitutional law. Many laws are created from local governments or from judges. However, Civil Rights law flows from the U.S. Constitution. With regards to civil rights, this internet cite concerns only those civil rights which concern police misconduct also known, in some situations as Police Brutality.
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What is a Police Misconduct Case?
Police officers, just like any human being, make mistakes. Some of their errors are very serious and abusive, others are just careless. The area of law concerning police misconduct concerns situations like excessive force (an officer hurts someone unnecessarily), false arrest and malicious prosecution. These are the most common cases that are filed in the Court system.
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Excessive Force Cases
A police officer acts with excessive force when he/she uses an amount of force with regards to a civilian that is more then necessary. Police officers are certainly permitted to use force and in some situations, deadly force. However, there are times when officers misuse their authority and injure someone without a justified reason. For example, take a situation where an officer stops an elderly gentleman for speeding. The officer asks the driver to get out of the car and while the driver opens the car door, the officer yanks him up from his seat and throws him against the car. This would be an example of excessive force. As there would be no need to cause injury to the driver of the car, the officer would be liable for using excessive force (here, liable means legally responsible in a court of law for damages that the driver suffers from officer’s abuse).
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False Arrest
Generally speaking, an arrest is defined as any type of situation that you are involved in with an officer where you are not free to leave. If you are under arrest, the next question that should then be asked is what is the reason for the arrest. If the officer does not have a valid reason for arresting you, then you may have a false arrest claim. Take the following example. A police officer sees a young lad standing on the corner, alone, minding his own business. The officer comes up to young man and tells him that he must submit to a search (pat down search). The boy says no and the officer tells him that he must submit. The boy again says no and the officer forces him into the squad car and takes him down to the station. After searching the boy at the station and checking his background, the officer releases him. The young man has a valid false arrest claim. He was arrested without any valid basis whatsoever and brought down into the station.
A valid federal claim and state law claim could be pursued and won, assuming that these facts could be proven at trial.
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Malicious Prosecution
A malicious prosecution claim is similar to a false arrest claim. In this type of case, the officer arrests an individual for no valid reason and then initiates a criminal complaint against the innocent person. Typical cases in this regard are Aggravated Battery cases. Here, an officer for no good reason, strikes a civilian. The civilian blocks the strike and hits back. The officer then tackles the civilian and arrests him and charges him with striking the officer – known as Aggravated Battery. After the criminal case is over (and preferably won) the innocent civilian may lodge a civil rights case against the officer for excessive force, false arrest and malicious prosecution.
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What if my case is not so clear cut?
Many people don’t understand what it takes to win a police misconduct case. First, the law can be quite confusing. Second, there is frequently a difference from what it is that can be proven as opposed to what happened. For example, a police brutality case would be stronger if there was an independent witness to observe an officers abuse. Frequently, there are no witnesses and the case must be proven through other means. Take, for example, the factual scenario of the gentleman (above) in the excessive force case. If the police officer fails to detail anything in his report to justify his actions and the driver goes to the emergency room for injuries immediately after his interaction with the officer, then the case may easily be proven. So, the most important thing to do when confronted with a situation involving police misconduct is CONSULT A LAWYER. Don’t leave it to your own decision making process to determine whether you would be able to win a case in court. The law as well as the manner by which your case can be proven is complicated. Get some free advice as you will be better off.
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E-mail us at: Info@Police-Watchers.com
This page and other pages herein may refer to certain legal concepts or principles. These concepts or principles are primarily based upon what we believe to be the law in the State Of Illinois. Laws of other states may differ. The law in Illinois and other states is in a constant state of change. Therefore for these and other reasons the information and opinions expressed in these are not intended and should not be taken as legal opinions to be relied upon in any way by those who read these articles.
To come to a legal conclusion relative to anything contained herein could seriously prejudice the rights of the reader.
If the reader has a legal problem relative to any of the matters discussed in this article or on this web site he or she may seek an interview with this office or the advice of any other attorney either directly or through their local bar association or legal aid.
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What are our fees?
If we choose to take your case, we usually do not charge a fee unless we recover money for you. This is called a contingency fee arrangement.
However, we may ask for a retainer fee to investigate your case more fully in order to determine its probability of success in a court of law. This fee is non-refundable, whether we ultimately choose to take your case or not take your case. Also, there are times when a client will pay the attorney in order to work on the entire case.
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Regardless, of the situation you are in, there is never a fee for your initial consultation with us, whether by telephone or by answering the questionnaire on this website. |
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