Qualified Immunity

In 2021 the Supreme Court affirmed long-standing truisms that protect the home and that qualified immunity review is not a shield against unconstitutional conduct

The court denies law enforcement officers qualified immunity for the arrest of a local journalist in a recent case

Justices reversed rulings in two separate cases related to use-of-force lawsuits

If there is any clearly established Supreme Court precedent, it is that the Court believes lower courts continue to misconstrue Supreme Court direction on qualified immunity

A recent case follows the events of a traffic stop in which police were demanding identification from a subject who refused

The troopers were sued for allegedly failing to protect a woman before her ex-boyfriend went on a shooting rampage in 2015

Hint: It starts with key legal terms and solid legal representation

Court also rejects lower court use of freeze-frame “screen shots,” ruling that it amounts to “20/20 hindsight and second-guessing” of officer split-second decision to shoot

A look at some of the reforms police agencies and cities have implemented

More than 20 states have considered bills this year to share disciplinary records of police officers, while about 20 states still largely prohibit their release

Qualified immunity is not dependent on the officer using the best tactic and when applied, does not mean the officer is immune from criticism

Local governments and law enforcement leaders lobbied aggressively against the legislation

If H.R. 1280 becomes law, the defense of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers will be abolished

Many departments strongly discourage shooting at moving vehicles to disable the car

While the 2019 U.S. Supreme Court term was a quiet year for police-related cases, Justice Clarence Thomas continued to express concern with qualified immunity