A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.
Notrees is an unincorporated community in west central Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located on State Highway 302, approximately twenty miles northwest of Odessa. The community is part of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area began to develop in the 1940s following the discovery of large oil fields including the TXL Field. Notrees was known at various times as Caprock and Strawberry. Local merchant Charles E. Brown petitioned for a post office and selected the descriptive name of Notrees. Reportedly, the community had a single native tree before it was destroyed during the construction of a Shell Oil Company "gas plant". Notrees thrived during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1966, the population was 338 and the area was supported by several oil company camps and a few businesses. The community began to decline by the 1980s as a result of oil companies abandoning the camps that once provided housing for employees and their families because of an improved infrastructure that enabled workers to live elsewhere (e.g. , Odessa) and commute to Notrees. The community's small population currently supports four businesses and a post office.