Understanding Wrongful Arrest Lawsuits in Maryland: A Guide to Your Civil Rights Being arrested is a frightening and disorienting experience. When that arrest happens without legal justification, it's not just an inconvenience—it's a profound violation of your constitutional rights. In Maryland, as elsewhere, individuals have the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, a protection guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Maryland Declaration of Rights. If you've been subjected to a wrongful arrest, understanding your legal recourse is the first step toward seeking justice and compensation. What Constitutes a Wrongful Arrest in Maryland? At its core, a wrongful arrest, often referred to as false arrest or false imprisonment, occurs when law enforcement officers detain an individual without legal justification or probable cause. Probable cause is a crucial concept here: it means that officers must have a reasonable belief, ba...