A violation of your civil rights attacks your dignity and freedom. When government officials or police officers abuse their power, you need a law firm that holds them accountable. Gauthier & Maier Law Firm, P.C. protects the rights of people across New Mexico who have suffered from police brutality, discrimination, and other constitutional violations
When the government violates your fundamental rights, you do not have to face the legal system alone. Contact us at (505) 226-0009 for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to your story and explain your legal options for pursuing justice.
Why Trust Gauthier & Maier to Fight for Your Civil Rights?
We bring years of dedicated experience to every civil rights abuse case we handle. Our track record speaks volumes about our commitment to justice—we have successfully recovered millions of dollars for our clients through substantial settlements and courtroom verdicts.
We've seen firsthand how civil rights violations can devastate lives, and we've also witnessed the powerful transformation that occurs when justice prevails. Our firm doesn't just handle cases; we champion causes that matter and fight for systemic changes that protect others from experiencing similar violations.
We Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
Money should never be a barrier to justice, which is why our Albuquerque civil rights attorneys work exclusively on a contingency fee basis. Under our arrangement, you pay absolutely nothing upfront, and we only collect our legal fees if and when we successfully recover your compensation. We advance all the financial risks and case expenses, allowing you to focus entirely on your recovery and healing.
We Offer a Client-Centered Approach
Civil rights cases are deeply personal, and we treat them with the utmost respect and sensitivity. At Gauthier & Maier, our client-centered approach means that your needs, concerns, and goals remain at the forefront of everything we do. We take the time to truly understand your unique situation, listening carefully to your experiences and the impact the violation has had on your life.
We Keep You Informed
Communication is paramount in our attorney-client relationships—we keep you informed at every stage of the legal process, explain complex legal concepts in understandable terms, and ensure you're always prepared for what comes next. Our firm recognizes that you're trusting us with one of the most challenging chapters of your life. We honor that trust with transparency, compassion, and unwavering dedication.
We Provide Aggressive Advocacy
Our Albuquerque civil rights lawyer team provides aggressive advocacy. We send a clear message: we will not tolerate violations of constitutional rights. Our attorneys conduct comprehensive investigations, work with leading experts, and build solid cases that hold wrongdoers accountable. At Gauthier & Maier, we're not afraid to take on insurance companies, powerful institutions, or negligent parties to ensure that justice is served.
If you're a victim of civil rights violations anywhere in New Mexico, don't wait to seek the legal representation you need. Contact Gauthier & Maier at (505) 226-0009 to schedule your free consultation with a reputable Albuquerque civil rights lawyer. We will evaluate your case and discuss your legal options.
Civil Rights Compensation
When someone violates your civil rights, compensation serves multiple vital purposes: it provides financial relief for the losses you've suffered, acknowledges the wrong that was committed against you, and helps deter future violations. Compensatory damages are the foundation of most civil rights settlements and verdicts, encompassing both the measurable financial losses and the intangible harm you've endured.
Economic Damages
The economic damages in your civil rights claim refer to the monetary losses incurred as a result of the civil rights violation. Our Albuquerque civil rights attorneys work diligently to document every economic impact to ensure that no financial loss goes uncompensated in your recovery. These are not your expenses to bear:
- All associated past, current, and future medical costs
- All lost income, including earnings, bonuses, commissions, and overtime
- Lost benefits, such as retirement and healthcare
- Loss of earning capacity or future earnings
- Repair or replacement costs for property damage
- Household services required while you recover
- Transportation expenses to medical appointments and legal proceedings
- Home and vehicle modifications to accommodate disability
Calculating economic damages requires a careful analysis of bills, invoices, and receipts to determine out-of-pocket expenses. It regularly involves working with financial experts, medical professionals, and vocational rehabilitation specialists. We maintain detailed records of all economic losses and project future expenses to ensure your settlement or verdict reflects the true financial impact of the violation on your life.
Non-Economic Damages
The non-economic damages in your civil rights case compensate for the intangible losses that can't be measured with receipts or pay stubs but are equally real and devastating. Our legal team understands how to effectively present these damages to insurance companies, opposing counsel, and juries. Non-economic damages include the following:
- Pain and Suffering: Physical discomfort and distress caused by injuries sustained during the violation. Ongoing physical limitations that affect daily activities and overall quality of life.
- Emotional Distress: Psychological trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health impacts resulting from the violation. Long-term emotional scarring that affects relationships and personal well-being.
- Loss of Liberty: Deprivations of liberty and freedom through wrongful arrest, imprisonment, or restriction of movement. The violation of fundamental rights to move freely and make personal choices.
- Mental Health Issues: Development of conditions like PTSD, panic disorders, or other psychological conditions directly linked to the violation. The need for ongoing mental health treatment and therapy.
- Changes in Quality of Life: Inability to enjoy activities, hobbies, and experiences that brought fulfillment before the violation. Impact on family relationships and social connections.
- Future Pain and Anguish: Anticipated ongoing suffering, both physical and emotional, that will continue into the future. Long-term effects that will require continued treatment and adaptation.
Non-economic damages typically represent the most significant component of civil rights compensation. They acknowledge the profound personal impact that these violations have on victims and their families. Our Albuquerque civil rights attorneys collaborate with medical experts, psychologists, and other professionals to accurately document and quantify these damages.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages serve a different purpose than compensatory damages—they're awarded to punish defendants for extremely egregious conduct and deter similar behavior in the future. New Mexico law allows punitive damages in civil rights cases when the defendant's actions were willful, wanton, or showed reckless disregard for the victim's rights.
Punitive damages can significantly increase the total value of your recovery, sometimes reaching multiples of the compensatory damages awarded. Our attorneys know how to build compelling cases for punitive damages by demonstrating the deliberate nature of the violation and the need for meaningful consequences.
Wrongful Death Damages
When civil rights violations result in the tragic loss of life, New Mexico's wrongful death statute allows the personal representative of the deceased's estate to file a lawsuit on behalf of the surviving family members. These beneficiaries may include a surviving spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, or siblings.
A wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages for:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Final medical expenses associated with injury before death
- Conscious pain and suffering endured before death
- Lost financial support and benefits
- Pain and suffering for surviving family members
- Loss of consortium and companionship
- Loss of inheritance
Wrongful death cases carry immense emotional weight. At Gauthier & Maier, our legal team approaches them with the sensitivity and respect they require and deserve. We work closely with families to understand the full impact of their loss while building strong cases that honor their loved one's memory and hold wrongdoers accountable.
New Mexico’s Statute of Limitations for Civil Rights Violations
Under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, victims have three years from the date of the violation to file a lawsuit.
Many civil rights cases, particularly those involving police misconduct, proceed under federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1983), which gives you three years to file a lawsuit.
However, exceptions and complexities to this timeline may arise.
Speak with an attorney as soon as possible to protect your right to sue. Waiting too long can permanently bar you from seeking compensation.
Civil Rights Violations Our Firm Represents
At Gauthier & Maier, we represent victims of a wide range of civil rights violations throughout New Mexico.
Our Albuquerque civil rights attorneys have extensive experience handling complex cases involving constitutional violations, discrimination, school abuse, and police brutality.
We understand that civil rights violations can take many forms, and we're prepared to fight for justice regardless of the specific circumstances of your case.
Police Beatings
When law enforcement officers use excessive physical force during arrests, traffic stops, or other encounters, they violate fundamental constitutional rights. Police beatings often result in serious injuries, lasting disabilities, and severe emotional trauma.
Our Albuquerque civil rights attorneys thoroughly investigate these cases, working with medical experts and use-of-force specialists to demonstrate that the officer's actions exceeded what was reasonable and necessary under the circumstances.
Improper Use of Firearms
The use of deadly force by police officers is governed by strict constitutional standards that require an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
When officers discharge their weapons without proper justification or use firearms in ways that endanger innocent civilians, they violate civil rights and must be held accountable.
Our lawyers have experience handling these highly complex cases that often involve detailed ballistics analysis and expert testimony.
Unlawful Killings
Perhaps the most tragic form of civil rights violation occurs when law enforcement officers cause the death of civilians through excessive force or gross negligence.
Unlawful killings by police devastate families and communities while representing fundamental failures of the systems meant to protect and serve.
Our legal team approaches these cases with the gravity they deserve, working tirelessly to achieve justice for grieving families.
Racial Abuse
Civil rights violations often involve discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. Racial abuse by law enforcement can include discriminatory traffic stops, harassment, use of racial slurs, and disparate treatment based solely on a person's race or perceived ethnicity.
Our attorneys understand the complex dynamics of racial discrimination. We work to expose patterns of biased policing that violate equal protection rights.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death cases arising from civil rights violations require careful coordination between federal civil rights claims and state wrongful death statutes.
Our Albuquerque civil rights lawyers possess the experience necessary to handle these emotionally challenging cases while pursuing maximum compensation for the surviving family members.
School Abuse
Educational institutions have a fundamental responsibility to provide a safe learning environment for students. When they fail in that duty, serious civil rights violations can occur.
School abuse cases frequently involve complex legal issues because they may implicate both constitutional rights and federal laws governing education.
Our legal team has experience representing students and families who have suffered abuse, discrimination, or other violations in educational settings. School abuse frequently constitutes:
- Sexual Abuse by Staff: Inappropriate sexual conduct by teachers, administrators, or other school employees toward students—failure by school administrators to properly investigate reports, or remove dangerous staff members from contact with children.
- Physical Abuse and Excessive Discipline: Use of corporal punishment that exceeds reasonable bounds or physical abuse disguised as discipline. Restraint techniques that cause injury or are used inappropriately against students with disabilities.
- Discrimination and Harassment: Systematic discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics. Bullying and harassment that school officials know about but fail to adequately address.
- Denial of Special Education Services: Failure to provide appropriate educational services to students with disabilities as required by federal law. Discrimination against students based on their disabilities or special needs.
School abuse cases require swift action to protect other students and preserve evidence for future investigation and prosecution.
Our Albuquerque civil rights lawyer team works closely with families to document violations, ensure student safety, and pursue accountability through both legal action and administrative processes with educational authorities.
Our Albuquerque Civil Rights Lawyer Team Fights for Maximum Recovery
At Gauthier & Maier Law Firm, our firm brings a unique advantage to civil rights cases through our diverse background and comprehensive understanding of how these cases are defended.
Our attorney team comprises former insurance defense lawyers who spent years on the other side of these cases, providing us with invaluable insight into the tactics used to minimize and deny civil rights claims.
Our insider knowledge of defense tactics, combined with our passion for civil rights advocacy, creates a powerful combination that consistently delivers optimal results for our clients.
Albuquerque Civil Rights FAQs
What is the difference between a state and a federal civil rights claim?
State claims are based on violations of the New Mexico Constitution or the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. Federal claims are based on violations of the U.S. Constitution, most often pursued under a law known as 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Many civil rights cases, such as those involving police misconduct, can involve violations of both state and federal law. An experienced attorney can determine the best legal strategy for your specific situation.
What does qualified immunity mean for my police brutality case?
Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that shields government officials, including police officers, from liability in civil lawsuits unless their conduct violates a clearly established statutory or constitutional right.
Overcoming qualified immunity is a major hurdle in many civil rights cases. It requires demonstrating that the officer's actions were so egregious that any reasonable officer in their position would have known they were breaking the law.
What evidence is important in a civil rights case?
Evidence is critical. Important items often include police reports, body camera and dashcam footage, cell phone videos from bystanders, photographs of your injuries and the scene, medical records detailing your treatment, and contact information for any witnesses.
Preserve any evidence you have and provide it to your attorney immediately.
Can I still file a lawsuit if the criminal charges against the police officer were dropped?
Yes. The outcome of a criminal case does not determine the validity of your civil rights claim.
A civil lawsuit focuses on whether the police violated your constitutional rights during the arrest or encounter, regardless of whether they were ultimately convicted, acquitted, or had the charges dismissed. The standard of proof also differs in a civil case.
Consult a Qualified Albuquerque Civil Rights Lawyer Right Away
Civil rights violations necessitate immediate and aggressive legal action to protect your interests and hold wrongdoers accountable.
At Gauthier & Maier, we recognize the urgency of these cases. Our team understands the importance of acting promptly to preserve evidence, protect your rights, and establish a strong case for compensation.
Don't let valuable time slip away while dealing with the aftermath of a civil rights violation—the sooner you contact our firm, the better we can serve your interests and fight for the justice you deserve.
Call (505) 226-0009 today for your free consultation with an experienced Albuquerque civil rights lawyer at Gauthier & Maier Law Firm, and let us begin fighting for your civil rights and your future.