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.
Hedgesville is a town in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 240 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hedgesville was laid out in 1832 along the old Warm Springs Road and named for the prominent local Hedges family. Hedgesville is a National Register Historic District. On August 17, 2004, President George W. Bush made a re-election campaign stop and photo-op at Hedgesville High School. This is a highly unusual event for Hedgesville, but can be explained by West Virginia's then status as a swing state in the 2004 Election.