What Counts as Race Discrimination in Court?

Racism is an issue still present in today’s society. How we deal with such issues however has changed. If you believe that you have suffered a racist act, then you should know a bit about what to expect. The Law Office of Perry Piñón understands race discrimination. There are several instances of racism that can occur. Each with its own circumstances. Besides knowing this, you will want to know a bit about what the court will look for.

Instances of Race Discrimination

There are several famous situations that show race discrimination. One such event would be Rosa Parks and her refusal to change seats. More modern cases of racial discrimination would be in hiring policies or treatment received by another person. A few examples of obvious racism would be in a company refusing to hire people of a certain ethnicity. Or a company refuses to sell or trade with a clients of certain ethnicity. Refusing to trade of deal with certain countries however, is not included in the legal definition.

Such types of racism are disappearing, but they can still occur in underhanded ways. Cases of personal racism are still around, but are usually accompanied by acts of violence. This makes the charges one of assault and not racism per se. In all instances of perceived racism, it is the responsibility of affected party to prove it in a court of law. For the accused, it is their responsibility to show proof of innocence.

What Counts in Court

Proving race discrimination in court can be tricky. Depending on the situation, there may be extenuating circumstances. For anyone trying to prove racism occurred, they must rely on Prima facie. This is Latin for at first glance, or on the face. It means that there is enough indirect evidence to prove that the act or decision was racist. One example would be that you are up for a promotion and are Asian. You have the qualifications required, and the experienced needed. But the company decides not to promote you.

In addition, they continue to look and then hire someone with the same qualifications and experience as you. Only they are not Asian. This would be cause to question the ethics of the company. In order to prove this however, you would need adequate proof of qualities shared, and experience. The best proof would be if you both look the same on paper. This would indicate that the company did not choose based on quality, but on race.

The Law Office of Perry Piñón is Ready to Help

Racist acts are still around today, but they are becoming a bit easier to charge and fight against. The Law Office of Perry Piñón has vast experience with race discrimination cases. You can feel confident in knowing you’ll be taken care of. If you suspect that you have been discriminated against, then you can go to court. Remember that if you do this, the burden of proof with be on your side. It is not impossible to prove, but will take some solid evidence too. For legal assistance, please contact the Law Office of Perry Piñón  today.