Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Wisconsin

suing police department

In 1996 when I was 17 years old two Eau Claire County WI. Sheriff's deputies sexually assaulted me and beat on me. This was Sheriff deputy Joseph Johnson that molested me and beat on me and I was pounded on and threatened with mace by Deputy John Rizzo at the same time. I was not doing anything wrong but they pounded on me and I told them I would report them to Sheriff Hewitt ASAP. When I did write a statement to the Sheriff I was charged a month later for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest based on the lies of these deputies who were trying to save there jobs. I was convicted because of there lies but one month after my sentencing the deputy that sexually assaulted me started to rape a 16 year old girl every weekend for 6 months and on one occasion he forced his wife into a 3-way with the 16 year old girl. Also a few months after my conviction the other deputy that pounded on me and threatened me with mace saying he would have loved to see me cry like a baby was fired for abusing someone else and mishandling his weapon and department rules violations. Both deputies did exactly what I accused them of doing to me and they did it to other people just a few months later but because I was 17 no one believed me. Can I sue?


Asked on 4/13/09, 7:28 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jonathan Safran Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C.

Re: suing police department

Without doing much research, my first blush opinion is that any statute of limitations time period may have already passed in regard to your pursuing this case in a civil lawsuit, under state or federal law. You might want to consult with other attorneys as to that issue to see if others disagree with me.

If you have not done so already, you may wish to contact the US Attorney's Office, for the Western District of Wisconsin, in Madison. They may have the FBI contact you to obtain more information. You may also wish to contact the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section,in Washington, D.C. They would be the federal agencies which would potentially investigate official misconduct of police officers. I am not sure of the statute of limitations time periods that apply to them in criminal cases.

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Answered on 4/15/09, 11:13 am


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