Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Missouri

Hi, if a police officer drives throughout a company's parking lot randomly checking plates to see if they are registered or have warrants then wait until they get off work and pull off the lot then pull them over without cause , is this grounds for a civil case against the officers for harassment.


Asked on 2/16/11, 5:05 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Anthony Smith LawSmith

The question "can I sue?" is almost always answered "Yes" But, to prevail, in most cases, the plaintiff must show damages. If a driver was pulled over because there was warrant attached to their car tags, they might be able to use the lack of probably cause for an arrest or reasoanble suspicion for stopping them, as a defense to a criminal charge leveld against teh driver. But, in the schenario you described, there does not seem to be damages that are significant enough to make a civil suit worthwhile. Such a suit could be expensive to bring, and most attorneys would require a client pay hourly for such a thing. There may be facts about your particular case that make asuit viable and worthwhile, so you shoudl consult directly with an attorney that can get your specific facts before deciding how to proceed, or whther to jsut let it go.

Good luck

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Answered on 2/17/11, 8:46 am


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