Civil Rights

Civil liberties are rights enshrined in the United States Constitution to protect your freedoms and help ensure a just and fair society. As someone new to the concept of civil liberties, you may want to learn about some of them: Your First Amendment rights The First...

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects your right to protest. You are entitled to peacefully protest on any issue. You can assemble in public spaces, sidewalks, streets and parks to make a stand for the causes in which you believe. Nonetheless, under...

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution holds a special place in the hearts and minds of citizens. A core tenet of American democracy, this amendment protects foundational freedoms that many consider essential for a free and open society. As an integral part of...

As a U.S. citizen, you are guaranteed “inalienable rights” by the Constitution. Unfortunately, there are times when people in authority positions overstep these boundaries.  If you find yourself in this situation, you have legal rights. Civil rights violations are...

Earlier this year, a prison in New Mexico made the news because of a lawsuit filed by an inmate. The lawsuit alleges the inmate suffered horrifying levels of abuse at the hands of guards. Prisoners are guaranteed rights – just like everyone else – by the Eight...

It is generally possible to sue an individual or business entity in civil court if they breach the terms of a contract, cause someone to suffer injuries or otherwise infringe upon their legal rights. However, the process of suing federal entities – and employees of...

Two years ago, when New Mexico enacted its Civil Rights Act, the governor and others asserted that our state had abolished qualified immunity. The concept of qualified immunity has come under considerable fire in recent years because it prevents individual government...

Law enforcement officers – both state and federal – are trained to enforce the law and keep the public safe. While performing their duties, however, these public servants are required to adhere to certain rules. If law enforcement conducts a search and seizure on your...

There are times when driving down the road that we can come up with a possible explanation for flashing red and blue lights in the review mirror — maybe we were driving a little too fast or chose to go through a yellow light instead of stopping. But what about times...

The New Mexico legislature has made great strides in criminal justice reform and civil rights this session. One area of reform was the elimination of all court, conviction and bench warrant fees in the criminal courts. This new law refers to the fees being charged of...