TITLE 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 21 - CIVIL RIGHTS
SUBCHAPTER I - GENERALLY
HEAD
Sec. 1983. Civil action for deprivation of rights
STATUTE
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance,
regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the
District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any
citizen of the United States or other person within the
jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges,
or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable
to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other
proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought
against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such
officer's judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted
unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was
unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress
applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be
considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.
SOURCE
(R.S. Sec. 1979; Pub. L. 96-170, Sec. 1, Dec. 29, 1979, 93 Stat.
1284; Pub. L. 104-317, title III, Sec. 309(c), Oct. 19, 1996, 110
Stat. 3853.)
CODIFICATION
R.S. Sec. 1979 derived from act Apr. 20, 1871, ch. 22, Sec. 1, 17
Stat. 13.
Section was formerly classified to section 43 of Title 8, Aliens
and Nationality.
AMENDMENTS
1996 - Pub. L. 104-317 inserted before period at end of first
sentence ", except that in any action brought against a judicial
officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial
capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a
declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was
unavailable".
1979 - Pub. L. 96-170 inserted "or the District of Columbia"
after "Territory", and provisions relating to Acts of Congress
applicable solely to the District of Columbia.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1979 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 96-170 applicable with respect to any
deprivation of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the
Constitution and laws occurring after Dec. 29, 1979, see section 3
of Pub. L. 96-170, set out as a note under section 1343 of Title
28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
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