Criminal Justice (Policing · Civil Liberties)

AB 331 creates a new legal right for individuals who believe their constitutional rights (such as due process or equal protection) were violated by government officials acting under color of law, including police or state employees. It allows victims to sue for damages, court orders to stop violations, and court-ordered attorney fees. The law sets a 6-year deadline to file such lawsuits and applies to both federal and state civil rights violations. It does not apply to cases already covered by existing statutes like 893.80 or 893.82.

SB 355 creates a new legal pathway for individuals whose constitutional rights (under U.S. or state law) were violated by government actors acting "under color of law" (e.g., police, officials). It allows affected people to sue for damages, injunctions, or other relief against the violating party, including government entities. The bill specifically requires courts to award reasonable attorney fees to winning plaintiffs and sets a 6-year deadline to file such lawsuits. This directly affects anyone facing rights violations by government officials, providing a clear legal remedy where none existed previously under the cited statutes.