During his campaign for mayor back in 2009, Gary Goncalves was one of the first individuals to discuss the firefighter lawsuit against the city and allegations of wrongdoing by Boughton and other people at city hall.
On a recent edition of the local access show "Community Forum" Goncalves offered his thoughts about the recent lawsuit settlement as well as his concerns regarding the city's admittance of wrongdoing.
To this date, neither the mayor nor the city's legal counsel has offered the public details about the admitted wrongdoing in the case.
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On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.