Civil rights attorneys are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to address Louisiana's brief statute of limitations for police brutality cases, which deviates from federal standards. The Institute of Justice, a public interest law firm, has filed briefs in support of two Louisiana lawsuits, Brown v. Pouncy and Monroe v. Conner, both involving police brutality allegations against non-violent offenders.
In these cases, represented by the Louisiana chapter of the ACLU, plaintiffs sued law enforcement agencies within two years of the incidents. However, the district courts dismissed these cases, and the dismissals were upheld on appeal due to Louisiana's one-year statute of limitations for Civil Rights Act claims, a policy that was recently extended to two years in June.
The Institute of Justice contends that the short limitations period undermines victims' ability to seek justice. "Louisiana's use of incredibly short statutes of limitations in cases ... goes against the statute's purpose of creating a meaningful way to remedy violations of individuals' constitutional rights by abusive government officials," said Institute of Justice senior attorney Anya Bidwell. She emphasized the need for a reasonable timeframe that allows victims to prepare their lawsuits adequately.
Brown v. Pouncy involves a 2019 incident where DeSoto Parish Sheriff's deputies attacked Jarius Brown, resulting in severe injuries. Despite filing his lawsuit two years later, the case was dismissed. The U.S. Justice Department charged the involved deputies, with one pleading guilty.
Monroe v. Conner concerns a 2019 traffic stop where Anthony Monroe was beaten by Louisiana State Police troopers, leading to a heart attack and critical injuries. Monroe's lawsuit, filed nearly two years later, faced a similar dismissal.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissals, suggesting only the U.S. Supreme Court could resolve the issue. Appellate Judge James Ho remarked, "You would think the last thing Congress would want is 50 different limitations rules," indicating the need for a unified approach. The Institute of Justice encouraged Brown to seek Supreme Court review.
Link: L.A. Illuminator
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