Kerr & Wagstaffe Responds to Controversial NYC Class Action Suit

Online, June 12, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Although many of the landmark cases regarding civil rights are listed in our history books, the issue is certainly not only one of the past. A recent article from The New York Times highlights such a case that has been plaguing New York City residents for years. The issue concerns the stop-and-frisk practices of the NYPD; many citizens have come forward to state that these actions are carried out without proper suspicion and are racially and economically biased. As stated in the article, "200,000 such stops [occurred] in the first three months of 2012, placing the Bloomberg administration on course for the largest number of annual stops in the 10 years the department has been measuring them." On the opposite side of the country, one law firm named Kerr & Wagstaffe, observes the claims and anticipates seeing changes made through a proposed class action law suit.

In 2008 the Center for Constitutional Rights filed the claim on behalf of four plaintiffs who felt their rights were unjustly violated by the NYPD. The article goes further to explain the efforts made by Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, of the Federal District Court who granted class-action status to the case. While city officials feel that this judicial intrusion is uncalled for, Scheindlin stood by her words and claimed that she was "giving a voice to the voiceless." The judge added that suspicionless stops should never occur and that the exponential growth calls for a court-ordered injunction to ban the stop and frisk procedure.

In San Francisco, California, Kerr & Wagstaffe offers commentary on the situation, as the law firm is well-versed in a variety of practice areas that include notable cases in civil rights litigation, class action law suits and constitutional law. While the article makes note of the controversy behind the class action case, Kerr & Wagstaffe stands by the belief that the judicial system is meant to bring light to novel and difficult constitutional legal matters. The group has taken on many similar cases, and has a proven record of bringing clarity to complex cases, such as the NYPD-focused case.

Darius Charney, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, explains in the article, "This is not just about five or six bad officers; this is about a whole department's policies and practices, which is why the best way to proceed with this case is as a class action, because it affects hundreds of thousands of people in the city." Ivo Labar, a partner at Kerr & Wagstaffe agrees as he comments, "This case presents the quintessential example of how class actions can be utilized to enforce constitutional rights."

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Kerr & Wagstaffe is a revolutionary law firm that has provided excellent legal representation in many groundbreaking cases, including those of constitutional law and class action. Built from a team of seasoned and skilled legal representatives, Kerr & Wagstaffe is able to provide top-notch knowledge to address difficult legal matters as efficiently as possible. The company has seen a great deal of success in several practice areas due to its bold mission to provide solid representation in controversial or complex cases.

For more information about their services, visit www.kerrwagstaffe.com.