Civil Rights

Charleston Civil Rights Lawyer

Civil rights law is a category of rights designed to protect people from unfair treatment and ensure equal treatment of individuals in various settings, including education, employment, housing, public accommodations, and others. Civil rights protections are centered primarily on certain legally-protected characteristics.

Civil liberties are different from civil rights, and they are often confused with one another. Civil liberties refer to limitations on government power, intended to protect freedoms that the government may not legally intrude upon. Examples of civil liberties include freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to practice a religion of your choosing, and more.

The Law Office of M. Andrew Brison, PLLC fights against the civil rights violations by helping individuals who’ve suffered unlawful discrimination hold accountable those responsible. Whether your rights were violated by an employer, correctional officer, law enforcement or another party, we can help you hold them liable.

What a Charleston Civil Rights Lawyer Protects

Some of the main sources of federal and WV civil rights laws are laws in the US Code. These statutes aim to protect specifically defined individual rights. Key legislation includes statutes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 US Code § 1983 (§ 1983), the statute giving individuals the right to sue government employees or those acting outside government authority in committing civil rights violations. Examples of civil rights violations include certain types of discrimination in such areas as:

• Education
• Public accommodations
• Housing
• Employment
• Voting
• Federal assisted programs
• Disabilities
• Lending
• Reproductive health services
• Public accommodations

Civil rights laws protect individuals from discrimination, especially when those individuals belong to the protected classes. Federal law has created protected classes in these areas:

• Sex
• Race
• Age
• Religion
• Race
• Disability
• Color
• Creed
• National origin
• Sexuality
• Genetic information
• Veteran status
• Pregnancy
• Familial status

Of recent interest are alleged civil rights violations involving mask mandates and mask-wearing during the pandemic. To qualify as a civil rights violation, a claim must involve discrimination of a particular class or group, namely those classes or groups listed above. Mask requirements from government agencies or private businesses and organizations generally do not involve the type of discrimination or the particular groups protected by civil rights laws.   

If you believe your civil rights have been violated anywhere in the West Virginia, an experienced Charleston civil rights lawyer from The Law Office of M. Andrew Brison, PLLC gives your claim—and your right to be free from discrimination—a fighting chance.

Your Civil Rights Claim Deserves to Be Heard

Our experienced West Virginia legal team takes protecting your civil rights very seriously. We follow court decisions on civil rights cases and, armed with that knowledge and prior civil rights litigation experience, we are ready to evaluate your case and pursue claims alleging civil rights violations. Our civil rights cases include fighting violations such as:

• Discrimination of protected classes
• Violations involving corrections officers or law enforcement, including excessive force, wrongful search and seizure and false arrest
• Violations involving incarceration, including cross-gender supervision, false imprisonment, deliberate indifference, excessive force, conditions of confinement and sexual harassment/assault
• Employment disputes including sexual harassment, constructive discharge, wrongful termination and discrimination
• Education or school cases involving discrimination, harassment and bullying

We work to uphold our clients’ civil rights regardless of who our clients are or what their situations may be. All have rights worthy of recognition and protection.

What Does a WV Civil Rights Lawyer Do?

Experience is always helpful, but it counts for a lot in civil rights claims. At The Law Office of M. Andrew Brison, PLLC, we have the experience needed to successfully prosecute your civil rights claims. For example, we thoroughly understand the rights protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and how to vindicate those rights in court by filing a claim under § 1983.

You cannot afford to lose time. You need lawyers who stand ready to act decisively—they should have ready knowledge to assist them in helping you act quickly, and experience helps.

When our firm steps in to help, we take a full inventory of the facts in your case and find the unique factors that could impact your results. We act as your advocate throughout the process, gathering witness testimony, police records, documentation and other evidence and using such evidence to support your claim. As accomplished trial attorneys, we work to defend your rights and are relentless champions if your case goes to trial.

Consult with an Accomplished Charleston Civil Rights Lawyer

Federal and state law guarantee you the right to be free from discrimination based on your membership in a particular class or group. We are dedicated to protecting your rights by holding accountable those who violated them. Through aggressive advocacy, we want to make your voice heard, especially after a civil rights violation.

Whether you’re in the capital or elsewhere in the state, you need a civil rights lawyer in WV who has the experience and determination to succeed with your claim. Contact a Charleston civil rights lawyer from The Law Office of M. Andrew Brison, PLLC to help vindicate your claim. To schedule a case review, call 304-397-8225 or complete our online contact form. We are determined to get just results for you.