{"id":151,"date":"2026-05-28T16:42:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pioneerrelocationnews.com\/?p=151"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:42:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:42:52","slug":"thomas-and-alito-take-a-regrettable-position-in-a-qualified-immunity-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pioneerrelocationnews.com\/?p=151","title":{"rendered":"Thomas and Alito Take a Regrettable Position in a Qualified Immunity Case"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Qualified immunity is a judge-made doctrine that routinely shields bad cops from facing civil lawsuits over their abusive and unconstitutional behavior. All too often, a federal judge will hear a case in which a clear constitutional violation occurred, only to then shield the offending officer anyway from facing civil liability over the blatant misconduct. It’s a legal doctrine that deserves to be abolished.<\/p>\n

Read more Leaked Plans Show School Buses Could Become Roaming Surveillance Vehicles<\/a><\/p>\n

Occasionally, however, the officer will lose one of these cases, and qualified immunity will be denied. That’s what happened last year in Hart v. Grand Rapids<\/em>, in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit actually let a federal civil rights lawsuit proceed<\/em> against a Michigan police officer whose use of deadly force against a protester was officially reprimanded by his own superiors because of how the officer’s actions violated the department’s training and procedures.<\/p>\n

That officer subsequently appealed his loss to the U.S. Supreme Court, which finally turned him down earlier this week, thereby leaving the 6th Circuit’s denial of qualified immunity undisturbed. The civil rights suit against the officer will now move forward in federal court, a welcome result. To be clear, the officer may still prevail in the end, but at least his alleged victim will now get the chance to seek redress for a credible constitutional rights violation.<\/p>\n

What makes this case especially notable, in addition to the all-too-rare denial of qualified immunity, is the fact that two members of the Supreme Court went out of their way to just how eager they were to rule in the offending officer’s favor.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re reading Injustice System<\/em> from Damon Root and Reason<\/em>. Get more of Damon\u2019s commentary on constitutional law and American history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Read more Ken Paxton\u2019s Primary Victory Shows How Trump\u2019s Grudges Undermine His Party\u2019s Interests<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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