 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Last Date Edited 04/25/08
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
42 U.S.C. Section 1983 This is a "plain English" version of the section of the federal law under which most civil rights actions are brought. Because it does not describe the precise legal meanings of some of the terms used in the law itself, this definition is not complete. However, it will give you a general idea of what the law provides. You may also want to look at the exact language of this section or the complete law. This law applies to situations where a person, who has been given authority by the law, deprives another person in the United States of rights or privileges that the second person has been given by the US Constitution or by federal or state law. The person who believes that s/he has been harmed in this way may sue in court. This law limits the way in which a person (who believes that s/he has been harmed) can sue a judge who has been acting in his or her official capacity. This law applies equally to Acts of Congress that affect only the District of Columbia. |
| Source: Maryland Legal Assistance Network, updated by the Maryland State Law Library (MSLL). |
Last Date Legal Review 4/25/08 (PLL/M.A.J.) |
| Is this legal
advice? This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice,
you should consult an attorney. See our section on Finding Legal Help.
About this website. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. The website was developed (1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal services providers serving low and moderate income Marylanders. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2007.” |
Need help with the legal terms?
|
