Civil Rights Case Checker — Free Legal Case Red Flag Checker

Answer 8 questions about your encounter with police, jail staff, or another government actor and see which issues deserve a closer look.

This tool is free and requires no account. Answer each question Yes or No — the tool flags which answers indicate a potential issue and explains why it matters.

Civil Rights Case Checker — 8 Screening Questions

  1. [State Action] Were you injured or harmed by police, jail staff, or another government actor? Physical injury, wrongful detention, property destruction, or denial of care.

    Why it matters: Civil-rights claims under §1983 require action by someone acting under government authority — this is the threshold question.

  2. [Contradictions] Do the official reports contradict video, photos, or witness accounts? Body-cam, surveillance, bystander video, or witnesses that tell a different story.

    Why it matters: Report-versus-video contradictions are often the strongest evidence in misconduct cases — documented frame-by-frame, they are hard to explain away.

  3. [Evidence Gaps] Have you obtained the incident reports, body-cam footage, and complaint records? Public-records requests for reports, footage, and the officers' complaint histories.

    Why it matters: Footage gets overwritten and records get harder to obtain over time. Early preservation requests protect the evidence.

  4. [Pattern & Policy] Has the same officer or agency been involved in similar incidents before? Prior lawsuits, news reports, discipline records, or a known pattern.

    Why it matters: A pattern of similar incidents can support a municipal-liability (Monell) claim against the agency itself — not just the individual officer.

  5. [Use of Force] Was force used after you were restrained, compliant, or no longer resisting? Strikes, tasing, or restraint continuing after you were handcuffed or on the ground.

    Why it matters: Force after compliance is a central fact pattern in excessive-force law — timing is everything, so pin down the exact sequence.

  6. [Medical Care] Were you denied medical care while in custody? Ignored injuries, withheld medication, or delayed emergency treatment.

    Why it matters: Deliberate indifference to serious medical needs in custody is an independent constitutional claim with its own proof requirements.

  7. [Deadlines] Do you know the filing deadline for a civil-rights claim in your state? §1983 deadlines borrow the state's personal-injury clock — often just 1–3 years.

    Why it matters: Civil-rights deadlines pass quickly and quietly. Once the limitations period runs, even a strong claim is gone.

  8. [Pattern & Policy] Did supervisors or the agency know about the conduct and fail to act? Prior complaints, ignored warnings, or supervisors present during the incident.

    Why it matters: Supervisor knowledge and inaction can extend liability up the chain — a key fact for claims beyond the individual officer.

What to Do With Your Results

Each flagged answer represents a potential gap or vulnerability in your case. Justice222 provides AI-powered tools to analyze these issues in depth — from contradiction detection to motion generation — after you upload your case documents.