Narendra and Paul file amicus brief with Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in civil rights dispute

In Hunter v. Town of Mocksville, Patterson Harkavy attorneys Narendra Ghosh and Paul Smith co-authored an amicus brief filed in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the National Association of Police Organizations. The case raises important issues about when a municipality can be held liable for civil rights violations committed by its high-ranking officials.

The district court held that the Town of Mocksville could not be held liable for unconstitutional retaliation committed by the Town Manager and Administrative Chief of Police. Patterson Harkavy's amicus brief argued that the two defendants were "final policymakers" for the municipality and that the municipality itself should therefore be liable for their unconstitutional acts.

Read the full brief here.