Lee Phillips has been fighting to protect his clients' constitutional and civil rights in courts of law for over 25 years. If the damages are significant or a grave injustice has occurred, you need an experienced trial attorney who is not afraid to stand up to the government to protect your rights. Contact us for a free consultation. Civil rights cases are often the most complex and costly of all civil litigation. Because you are fighting against the government which has unlimited resources to defend itself, we are only able to accept certain civil rights cases presented to us on a no money down contingency basis. Court costs and other expenses of civil rights litigation are normally paid by the client.

A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege established by state and federal law, which if interfered with by another person gives rise to an action for injury such as a civil claim or lawsuit. Unlawful searches or arrests and the use of excessive force are examples of this type of civil rights violation.  Discrimination occurs when a person's civil rights are violated or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group, religion, or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on an individual's race, sex, religion, age, physical limitation, national origin and sexual preference.

Protecting Constitutional Rights
Lee Phillips has been fighting to end the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement on the highways and interstates in Arizona for more than a decade. In the mid-1990's Lee successfully represented numerous Black and Latino motorists charged with drug offenses after they were stopped on Arizona highways by the State Police. In 2001, Lee filed a class action lawsuit in federal court claiming that the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) was engaged in the practice of racial profiling and violated his clients' constitutional rights. This lawsuit resulted in a historic and monumental Settlement Agreement (89KB PDF) affecting all motorists in Arizona. DPS agreed to make substantial changes to its policies, training and interaction with motorists during traffic stops including the newly required videotaping of the traffic stops and collection of traffic stop data which reveals the race or ethnicity of the motorists stopped by individual officers. In a related case, Lee successfully filed an appeal with the Arizona Supreme Court which concluded that racial profiling can be used as a defense in a criminal case and if proven requires the dismissal of the charges.

Civil rights cases require an attorney with the ability to develop complex strategies that take into account all the factors present. Trial and appellate court experience is also essential for a successful outcome. Lee has protected numerous clients' civil rights by asserting and raising the following issues that led to winning results:

• Violation of Freedom of Speech / Expression
• Racial Profiling
• Unlawful Jail Conditions
• Violation of Freedom of Religion
• Police Misconduct including False Arrest, Police Brutality and Illegal Strip Search
• Unlawful Search and Seizure
• Violation of Due Process and Miranda Rights