No fee unless he recovers compensation for you.
Types of Civil Rights Cases JTT Law Handles
JTT Law handles most types of civil rights cases. A few of the most common are listed below, but if yours isn't there, or you're unsure whether it qualifies, get in touch. James will call you back personally within 24 hours.
Police Misconduct & Wrongful Arrest
Excessive Force
Unlawful Search and Seizure
Wrongful Arrest
Malicious Prosecution
Rights of Incarcerated People
Denial of Medical Care
Religious Rights Violations
Guard Brutality
Wrongful Imprisonment
What Is a Civil Rights Claim?
A civil rights claim is a legal case you can bring when a government official has violated your constitutional rights. This usually means police, but it can also include other government employees, like corrections officers in a jail or prison.
What this could look like in practice:
01
Excessive force
You're pulled over for a broken taillight, and the situation is calm, but the officer uses force far beyond what was needed, a shove, a strike, or worse, when there was no real threat.
02
Unlawful search
An officer searches your car, your home, or your phone without a warrant or a legal exception that would allow it.
03
False arrest
You're placed in handcuffs and taken to jail even though the officer had no real evidence, no witness, no probable cause, just an assumption.
04
Malicious prosecution
You're formally charged with a crime and dragged through the court system, even though the person who brought the charges knew, or should have known, there was no real case against you.
05
Denial of medical care while incarcerated
You're in jail with a medical condition, you ask for help, and it's ignored or delayed to the point of real harm.
06
Religious rights violations while incarcerated
You're denied the ability to practice your religion, wear religious clothing, or observe religious dietary requirements, while other people in the same facility are permitted to.
07
Wrongful imprisonment
You were convicted and served time for something you didn't do. Even if it happened years ago, if you've since been exonerated, cleared of the charge, you may still have a claim.
How Much Does a Civil Rights Lawyer Cost?
No Recovery, No Fee.
Hiring James Tallman as your civil rights lawyer costs you nothing upfront, and nothing out of your own pocket at any stage.
Your first conversation with James is free. There's no charge to walk through what happened, ask questions, or find out whether you have a claim worth pursuing.
If you decide to move forward, JTT Law works on contingency. This means you pay nothing unless James recovers compensation for you, no hourly billing, no retainer, and no invoice while your case is still open. Contingency also covers the cost of building your case itself, filing fees, medical record requests, and expert reports are all handled without any upfront payment from you. If your case doesn't result in a recovery, you owe nothing at all.
When James does recover compensation, his fee is an agreed percentage of that amount, set with you before your case begins so there are no surprises later. It's always less than half of what you recover, and because it comes directly out of your compensation, you'll never be asked to pay it separately.
Free Civil Rights Consultation · Contingency Fee · No Recovery, No Fee
How Long Do I Have to Make a Civil Rights Claim?
In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years to file a civil rights claim, the same filing deadline that applies to most personal injury claims. But when that two-year clock starts can depend on the type of case:
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For things like excessive force or a wrongful arrest, the two years typically starts from the date of the incident itself.
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For malicious prosecution, the clock generally doesn't start until the criminal case against you has ended in your favor, whether that's a dismissal, an acquittal, or another resolution, even if that happens well after the original arrest.
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For wrongful imprisonment or a conviction that's later overturned, the timeline is tied to when you were exonerated or cleared, not to the original incident, which is why these cases can still be viable years, even decades, later.
Civil rights claims are subject to a filing deadline, just like other legal claims, but exactly how much time you have can depend on the specific right that was violated and the circumstances of your case.
When Should You Contact a Civil Rights Lawyer?
As soon as possible, even if you're not sure whether what happened qualifies. A few reasons why:
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Evidence disappears quickly. Police bodycam and dashcam footage is often only retained for a limited window before it's deleted or recorded over. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses is often gone within weeks. Witnesses become harder to locate the longer you wait.
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Details matter. The exact sequence of what happened, what was said, what you observed, are easiest to document accurately close to the time it happened, before memory fades.
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A strong case moves fast. Because James can often move quickly once he's confirmed you have a claim, reaching out early means there's more time and more evidence available to build the strongest possible case.
If you've already been convicted, this may still apply to you.
If you've already been convicted, this may still apply to you.
If you believe you were wrongfully convicted or imprisoned, time passing doesn't automatically rule out a claim. If you've since been exonerated, had the charges dismissed, or otherwise cleared, you may still have a claim even if it's been years since the original incident. This is a more complex, fact-specific situation, and it's worth a direct conversation with James regardless of how much time has passed.
Civil Rights FAQs
Direct Access to Your Attorney, From Start to Finish
$23M recovered for clients | 30 years of litigation experience | Trial-ready, not settlement-only | Every case handled personally by James
Direct attorney access matters because you shouldn't have to settle for less than the attorney you were promised. With 30+ years of experience, James is rare in doing the opposite of most firms: staying personally attached to every case, regardless of size.
That means you're treated as a client, not a file number. The details and nuances of your case don't get lost between staff. You're not hiring three decades of experience only to have the bulk of the work done by someone with less than one, and your case won't get quietly handed off to a junior because it isn't the firm's biggest one.
That matters because of what you're likely carrying already: the aftermath of mistreatment by an institution, on top of navigating a legal process you've probably never dealt with before. You need to know that the person deciding your case's strategy has actually seen situations like yours, not learning on the job at your expense.
James Tallman, On Civil Rights
"The Constitution and Bill of Rights protect EVERYONE. I'll fight the power to vindicate your civil rights and hold the police and government accountable."
