How do I file a small claims court case against the police?
First you must file a claim against the city (or against the county if the officers were Sheriffs, the state if California Highway Patrol) for damages. • You must file this claim within six months from the date of incident. This is a little different if the claim is only for false arrest, with no other types of abuse. In these cases, you can file within six months from a favorable disposition of the criminal charges. But, in general, you should put in a claim for any case within six months from the date of the incident just to be safe. • Filing this claim is not the same as filing a lawsuit. But it’s something you have to do before you file a lawsuit. It gives the city, county or state a chance to make a monetary offer without going through the courts. • The city (or county or state) has 45 days to respond to your claim. Almost always, the city (or county or state) rejects these claims, saying that it is not liable. If your claim is rejected, you have six months from the date of the re
