Washington, D.C., April 28, 2025 – Last week, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Louisiana, and the Juror Project submitted a report to a United Nations experts body highlighting legal barriers for victims of police violence who seek civil remedies. The report was submitted ahead of the annual meeting of the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement (EMLER), which is set to review systemic racism against Black people in the criminal justice system.
The report to EMLER outlines multiple ways in which the United States’ legal system prevents justice for police brutality victims. It examines three key obstacles to civil litigation, which is often the primary tool to hold local police departments accountable for misconduct.
Those barriers include short statute of limitation periods; inequitable trials and lack of jury diversity; and a little-known doctrine called Heck that prevents people with criminal convictions from filing civil suits for abuses committed by police – ultimately incentivizing police officers to charge people with crimes in order to evade accountability for misconduct.
“2024 was the deadliest year on record for killings by police, and Black people continue to be subjected to excessive force, unlawful arrests, and other forms of discriminatory policing,” said Delia Addo-Yobo, attorney at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “In a political environment that discourages police accountability and reform, it’s all the more crucial that individuals are able to vindicate their rights in civil court.”
“It’s time to end these barriers that shut survivors of police brutality out of the justice system — from short statute of limitation periods to the exclusionary Heck Doctrine,” said Nora Ahmed, Legal Director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “Everyone deserves equal access to the courts, no matter their income or skin color. This report gives policymakers a clear path forward to confront police violence and end the culture of impunity that protects bad actors.”
The report also references a case involving a 61-year-old Black man in Louisiana named Anthony Monroe. In 2019, Mr. Monroe was detained, beaten, and unlawfully arrested by a Louisiana State Police trooper when he was returning home from work. He was ultimately hospitalized for his injuries, criminalized for the incident, then subsequently barred from pursuing civil litigation in federal court.
“I am not angry,” said Mr. Monroe. “I’m disappointed. I’m disenchanted with the system. It’s important for me to speak up and share what happened to me because it continues to happen to others too. We’re just regular people simply trying to live our lives. It’s time for injustices like this to stop.”
“Criminal juries in America are part of our system of checks and balances ensuring the government isn’t abusing its power,” said William C. Snowden, Director of the Juror Project. “That is why a right to a jury trial in misdemeanor cases involving victims of police brutality is vital to ensure the government’s actions are appropriately scrutinized.”
The report suggests specific UN recommendations, including overruling or amending the Heck doctrine; establishing a standard statute of limitations period for civil claims; and requiring state and federal databases that track police killings and use of force.
About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
We are a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has worked to realize Robert F. Kennedy’s dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues—championing change makers and pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure change that lasts, we foster a social-good approach to business and investment and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice.
About the ACLU of Louisiana
Since 1956, the ACLU of Louisiana has worked to advance and preserve the civil rights and civil liberties of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities in Louisiana. We are part of a nationwide network of affiliates that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.
About the Juror Project
We aim to change the makeup of juries to better represent the American population and the communities most commonly accused. We pursue this through community and public education about jury eligibility and the jury selection process and the power jurors hold in America’s high stakes criminal legal system.
About the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The ACLU is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 4 million members, activists, and supporters, dedicated to defending the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the U.S. Constitution and our nation’s civil rights laws, and ensuring the United States upholds its international human rights commitments. The ACLU has offices in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.