When the Government Violates Your Rights, You Need Someone Who Will Fight Back
Government agencies, police departments, and public institutions have lawyers whose job is to minimize accountability. When those institutions cross the line — when an officer uses excessive force, when someone dies in custody, when a constitutional right is violated — the people harmed need an attorney who isn't afraid to take the fight to trial.
We are The Law Offices of Haytham Faraj. We have won a $22.6 million verdict against the City of Los Angeles. We have secured $4.5 million and $5 million wrongful death verdicts in police misconduct cases in Illinois. We have tried cases in federal district courts, state courts, and military tribunals — and we know what it takes to hold powerful institutions accountable.
If your civil rights were violated, you don't need a firm that will negotiate a quiet settlement. You need one that will take the case to trial if that's what justice demands.
For Referring Attorneys: Civil Rights Cases Require Specialized Co-Counsel
Civil rights and government liability cases are a different category of litigation. They demand constitutional law expertise, federal court experience, and the financial resources to front expert witness costs that regularly exceed $50,000 to $100,000 per case — often for two to five years before resolution.
If you have a client with a police misconduct case, an excessive force claim, or a Section 1983 matter that exceeds your firm's capacity or specialty, we are the co-counsel partner built for exactly this work.
What referring attorneys get when they partner with us:
● Your client relationship is protected. We never contact your client without your knowledge.
● Transparent referral fee structure, paid fairly and on time under applicable bar rules.
● Regular case updates — you are never left chasing us for information.
● A trial team with 80+ jury and bench trials across federal, state, and military courts.
● A firm that prepares every case for trial, so settlement negotiations happen from a position of strength.
What Are Civil Rights — and When Are They Violated?
Civil rights are the legally protected freedoms that every person in the United States holds against government interference and unlawful discrimination. They are not abstract principles — they are enforceable rights with legal remedies when violated.
The core civil rights protected under federal law include:
● Freedom of speech, religion, and assembly — the right to express beliefs and gather without government interference
● The right to petition the government — protected access to courts and government processes
● The right to procedural due process — fair legal treatment before the government deprives anyone of life, liberty, or property
● Freedom from discrimination for protected classes — equal treatment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability
● The right to vote — protected participation in democratic processes
● The right to use public facilities — equal access to public accommodations
When any of these rights are violated by a government actor — a police officer, a corrections official, a public employer, or a government agency — federal law provides a mechanism to hold them accountable.
The Cases We Handle: Civil Rights Violations We Fight
Civil rights violations take many forms. We have filed complaints and litigated claims on behalf of clients who experienced:
● Wrongful death at the hands of law enforcement● Excessive use of force during an arrest● Excessive Taser use causing serious injury or death● Wrongful shooting by police officers● Wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution● Denial of medical aid or medical treatment in custody● Unreasonable searches and seizures● Cruel and unusual punishment● Job loss or denial of promotion due to unlawful discrimination● Abuse by a public official● Discrimination based on race, religion, sex, disability, age, or national origin
These are not just legal claims. They are situations where someone with authority over another person abused that authority — and the law provides a path to accountability.
If you or a family member experienced any of these, the question is not whether you have a claim. The question is whether you have an attorney willing to pursue it against a well-funded government defendant. That is what we do.
What You Can Recover
Civil rights litigation pursues two objectives simultaneously: financial compensation for the harm you suffered, and institutional accountability to prevent future violations.
Civil rights litigation pursues two objectives simultaneously: financial compensation for the harm you suffered, and institutional accountability to prevent future violations.
Compensatory damages include medical expenses, emergency care, surgeries, ongoing treatment, mental health counseling for PTSD and trauma, lost wages and future earning capacity, funeral and burial costs in wrongful death cases, and pain and suffering.
Punitive damages may be awarded against individual officers in cases of particularly egregious or malicious conduct.
Injunctive relief can mandate policy changes within police departments — revised use-of-force policies, enhanced de-escalation training, body camera requirements, and strengthened civilian oversight mechanisms.
Attorney fee recovery under Section 1983 allows courts to order defendants to pay your attorney fees separately from your damages award. This means more of your recovery stays with you.
For many families — especially those who have lost someone — the financial recovery matters. But so does knowing that what happened to their loved one cannot happen again. We pursue both.
What We Have Won Against Government Defendants
These are not settlements achieved by threatening litigation. These are outcomes earned by attorneys who prepare every case as if it will go before a jury — because it might.
$22.6 million verdict against the City of Los Angeles — government liability
$5 million wrongful death verdict Burlington, Illinois police pursuit case
$4.5 million wrongful death verdict Burlington, Illinois Taser case
We have tried more than 80 jury and bench trials across federal, state, and military courts. We have litigated against cities, counties, police departments, and government agencies. We know how these defendants fight, and we know how to beat them.
Why Haytham Faraj Fights These Cases
Haytham Faraj spent 22 years as a Marine Corps infantry officer and JAG Senior Defense Counsel. He defended service members in high-profile war crimes cases — including the Haditha Marines — against the full resources of the United States government.
He knows what it means to stand against a powerful institution when the stakes are someone's life, freedom, and dignity.
After retiring from the Marine Corps, he founded this firm with a specific mission: to fight — without compromise and without retreat — for people who have been injured, wronged, or abandoned by powerful institutions. Government entities have lawyers. The people they harm deserve one too.
He is a faculty member at the Gerry Spence Method at the Trial Lawyers College, where the philosophy is simple: the individual matters. The institution does not get to win by default.
With over 25 years of legal practice and a record built in courtrooms — not conference rooms — he brings a credential stack no competitor can replicate to every civil rights case this firm takes.
Frequently Asked Questions: Civil Rights Cases
How long do I have to file a civil rights claim against the government?
Government tort claims require a Notice of Claim filed within 90 days to 6 months depending on jurisdiction — before you can file a lawsuit. Missing this deadline permanently bars your case. If you believe your rights were violated, contact us immediately. Waiting costs you options.
What if the officer was cleared by internal affairs?
An internal affairs clearance does not bar a federal civil rights lawsuit. Internal investigations are conducted by the same institution being accused. Federal courts apply a different and independent legal standard.
Can I file a civil rights lawsuit if there is also a criminal case against the officer?
Yes. Civil and criminal proceedings are separate. A criminal acquittal does not prevent a civil rights claim. The standards of proof are different, and the remedies are different.
What is qualified immunity and how does it affect my case?
Qualified immunity protects individual officers from personal liability unless they violated rights that were clearly established at the time. Defeating this defense requires identifying prior case law with sufficiently similar facts — which is why civil rights cases require specialized attorneys, not general practitioners.
What damages can I recover?
Compensatory damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and wrongful death losses. Punitive damages against individual officers in egregious cases. Injunctive relief requiring policy reforms. Attorney fees paid separately by defendants under Section 1983.
Do I have to pay anything upfront?
No. We handle civil rights cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover for you. Under Section 1983, courts can also order defendants to pay attorney fees separately — which means more of your recovery stays with your family.
I am a referring attorney. How does the co-counsel relationship work?
We review referrals within 24 hours and provide an initial case assessment within 48 hours. We execute a transparent co-counsel agreement with a fair referral fee structure under applicable bar rules. You remain informed at every significant development. Your client relationship is protected throughout.
Take the First Step Toward Accountability
Evidence disappears. Body camera footage gets withheld. Witnesses' memories fade. Government entities move quickly to protect themselves — and the clock on your legal rights starts the moment the violation occurs.
The attorneys and families we represent did not come to us looking for a settlement. They came because what happened was wrong, and they wanted someone willing to fight for what is right.
Need a Consultation? We Are Here to Help You!
Feel free to contact us to schedule a consultation.