Holding Cleveland County Officials Accountable

If you're searching for a civil rights lawyer near you in Norman or Cleveland County, look for an attorney with federal court experience and a track record of holding government officials accountable. Addison Law Firm handles Section 1983 cases throughout Oklahoma.

Section 1983 allows individuals to sue government officials who violate constitutional rights while acting 'under color of law.' This is the primary tool for holding police and jail officials accountable.

You can sue municipalities under a 'Monell' claim if city or county policies or failure to train caused your injury. We investigate patterns of misconduct to build these claims.

Compensatory damages for injuries and emotional distress, punitive damages in egregious cases, and attorney's fees paid by the defendant if you prevail.

Federal civil rights claims borrow Oklahoma's 2-year statute of limitations. Don't delay—evidence disappears and memories fade.

Game-day incidents at Memorial Stadium involve both Norman PD officers working overtime assignments and OU Campus Police (OUPD). Both are state actors subject to § 1983. If excessive force was used, you have two years to file—but police incident reports from game-day events are frequently incomplete or written to protect the officer. Securing witness contact information and bystander video immediately is critical. We also subpoena Memorial Stadium's external camera footage before it is overwritten on a routine storage cycle.

Federal § 1983 claims borrow Oklahoma's two-year personal injury statute of limitations. However, if you also intend to bring state-law claims alongside your § 1983 claim, the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act (51 O.S. § 156) requires a written notice of claim within one year of the incident—before suit. Missing the GTCA notice deadline does not kill your federal § 1983 claim, but it eliminates parallel state tort claims against the City of Norman. We file both tracks simultaneously so no deadline is missed.