Gastélum Law specializes in civil rights claims. A civil rights claim arises when the government or its officials violate a person’s rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of California. Gastélum Law fights for the preservation of these rights by seeking justice for our clients and helping them navigate the legal process with dignity.

Gastélum Law has achieved justice in excessive force cases involving police shootings and police brutality and in cases arising from unconstitutional conditions in jails and prisons, including failure to protect inmates’ safety and failure to provide proper medical and psychiatric care resulting in suicide, overdose or other tragic and fatal medical conditions.

Examples of civil rights cases against law enforcement agencies include:

• physical violence by the police resulting in serious injury or death
• sexual assault by police officers or custody staff
• abusive strip searches
• failure to protect inmates against other violent inmates or abusive custody staff
• failure to provide psychiatric care to inmates resulting in jail suicides
• failure to provide medical care to inmates resulting in overdose

If you or your loved one are a victim of police misconduct, please document information that may be helpful to you and your attorneys including taking photographs your injuries, securing any video recordings of the incident and names of witnesses, and seek medical attention immediately. A private autopsy is recommended to ensure an objective evaluation for the cause of death and examination of the fatal injuries.