When you think of profiling by law enforcement, what comes to mind? The truth is, it’s gone beyond racial profiling because of the preconceived notions many officers walk onto the job with. In the news, we hear so much about racial profiling, which is a horrible miscarriage of justice, but what about ethnic and religious profiling? If you are falsely accused of a crime and you feel that you are being victimized by law enforcement because of your race, ethnic origins, religion, or even gender, the first thing you should do is contact a good attorney.
Alarming Statistics to Take Note Of
In a recent article published in the Los Angeles Times, a study conducted in a five-year period between 2007 and 2012 found that 63% of immigrants facing deportation aren’t being represented by a lawyer. This study analyzed more than one million cases and that number is staggering when you stop to consider that it equates to 630,000 people, many of whom were arrested due to police profiling around the nation.
Some were arrested because they are Hispanic, but the report shows that a great number arrested have a legal right to live and work in this country. While most of the ‘legal’ immigrants were booked and released, they were what is now being referred to as “collateral damage”, according to the article. Arrest first, ask questions later.
Why You Need a Private Criminal Defense Attorney
Sadly, the one million people facing immigration are only a fraction of the number of arrests made based on profiling. If you are being detained in Los Angeles and falsely accused of a crime based on profiling, you won’t be appointed a public defender if you are not a legal resident. It would be up to you to contact Joey Langston, for example, who has worked for a long time representing clients.
It is bad enough facing deportation, which even legal residents can be subject to, but it is worse if you were falsely arrested due to racial or ethnic profiling. Your best, and sometimes only, defense is a good lawyer who can show just cause to drop the case.
Why You Need a Winning Attorney
One thing you should also keep in mind that juries are comprised of people who may have the same biases as police officers do. A good criminal defense lawyer will know how to make his or her choices by asking the right questions. However, sometimes a great attorney can get the case dismissed because of the conditions of the arrest. If it can be shown that an arrest was made due to profiling, no sensible DA would want to bring it to trial.
In the end, arrests made as the result of profiling aren’t limited to racial or ethnic profiling. Religion can also be a key factor so no one is safe from profiling if you have an anti-Semitic law enforcement officer or one who has extreme views on anything of a religious or political nature. If you are falsely arrested and you feel a key factor is profiling, your best course of action is to do or say nothing until you have legal representation. Let the facts speak for themselves through the mouth of your attorney.
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