WASHINGTON — July 20 will mark six months since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and it’s an important date to keep in mind for those who were protesting in D.C. that day.
Last month, the ACLU of D.C. filed a lawsuit on behalf of four people who believe they were mistreated by D.C. police on Jan. 20.
Since then, the group says it has received questions from others who are considering lawsuits, and wondering how to proceed.
“A lot of people don’t realize that in order to sue the District of Columbia, except on constitutional claims, you need to file what’s called a notice of claim letter, informing the D.C. government formally that you have a claim against it,” said ACLU of D.C. senior staff attorney Scott Michelman.
Those letters must be received by the city within six months after the alleged incident, or July 20 in this case.
But Michelman says those protesters who were charged with crimes that day need to be cautious when writing a notice of claim letter.
“They should check with their lawyers and be careful not to say anything that they don’t want used against them at their criminal proceedings.”
