Using Police Misconduct Databases in Criminal and Civil Rights Litigation

When defending a criminal case or pursuing civil rights claim against a police officer or department, information about prior officer misconduct can be crucial evidence. However, finding this data can be very difficult, and using it to build your case is not always straightforward. This program will provide attorneys with an introduction to police misconduct histories, including how to utilize FOIA requests and court records to obtain information and build a database, and how to introduce this data in a court case and demonstrate a nexus between past behavior and your theory of the case. 

1. Investigate police officer misconduct through a variety of information-gathering mechanisms
2. Interpret data and introduce evidence of police misconduct in court
3. Use police misconduct histories to build your case in criminal and civil rights litigation