LAFAYETTE, La (KLFY)-- For the first time, the American Civil Liberties Union is bringing a lawsuit to trial before a federal jury against the Lafayette Police Department and Lafayette-City Parish Consolidated Government.

Since its formation three years ago, the Justice Lab with ACLU has its first trial where an officer is accused of excessive force and violence. This is the first case to make it to trial out of dozens the Justice Lab has settled over the past three years.

News 10 spoke with Nora Ahmed, the legal director of ACLU Louisiana's Justice Lab, who said they shouldn't have to go to trial when it comes to cases like this. But they believe in victims being compensated.

"While today is our first case to go to trial, the truth is we shouldn't have to get here," Ahmed said.

Ahmed was referring to the lawsuit Raynaldo Markeith Sampy Jr. filed in May of 2019 against officers with the Lafayette Police Department and the LCG. The lawsuit was filed a year after Sampy alleged officer Jonathan Rabb, along with five other officers, violated his 4th and 14th amendment rights when he was arrested at a convivence store in May of 2018. Ahmed said although it's their first case going to trial, this isn't the first case like Sampy's, and reform needs to happen.

"The truth is that forcing us to go to trial is forcing us to prove something we shouldn't have to prove," Ahmed said. "It's a failure to recognize that there are systemic injustices in policing that need to be reformed."

She said the Justice Lab works to give their clients a sense of vindication, and settling every case since they've started has been a victory. Although Sampy's case is being brought before a federal jury, Ahmed said this does not discourage them from the work they are doing. In fact, it is motivating them to keep fighting for victims of abuse.

"Our goal is not to continue to go to trial," Ahmed said. "Our goal is to ensure that these actions stop. We shouldn't be here and this shouldn't be happening. But these are the types of cases that we're willing to take, even though we know how hard the road is."

The trial is anticipated to last the next three days with the possibility of a fourth.

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