08/22/2026
Vargas v. Village of Stone Park — 2019
In 2018, I experienced something that changed the trajectory of my life.
I became a victim of police brutality.
At the time, I wasn’t looking at the situation through the lens of someone who worked in the legal field. I was simply a person who believed that what happened to me was wrong and that I deserved to be heard.
In 2019, I filed Vargas v. Village of Stone Park, a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
I remember what it felt like to take that step. Going up against a municipality and law enforcement officers is intimidating. The legal system can feel complicated, especially when you're the person who is asking it to recognize that something happened to you that should not have happened.
But I didn't stay silent.
The case was resolved in 2021, and the experience left me with something that no settlement could ever fully measure: perspective.
It taught me what it feels like to be on the other side of the legal system.
Years later, that perspective continues to influence the work I do as a paralegal.
Today, I work on cases involving people navigating incredibly difficult circumstances—immigration matters, civil rights issues, and situations where someone's vulnerability intersects with a complicated legal system.
I understand that a case isn't just a case.
There is a person behind every complaint.
A family behind every petition.
A story behind every file.
And sometimes, a person is simply looking for someone to believe them, listen to them, and help them understand what comes next.
My experience in 2018 didn't make me give up on the legal system.
It made me want to understand it.
It made me want to advocate.
And it became part of the reason I continue to stand up for people whose voices can easily get lost in the process.
The lessons from that experience continue to shape the work I do today.
⚖️✊🏽
