Supreme Court to decide whether government agents can avoid accountability
There is a long and ugly history of government officials – especially those carrying badges – abusing their authority and the rights of citizens for the flimsiest of reasons. Take…
The Supreme Court’s supreme dodge
The Supreme Court has refused to revisit its doctrine of qualified immunity, under which government officials, including law enforcement, are protected from lawsuits for violating individual’s constitutional rights. As Radley…
Retired Chicago PD officer: Qualified immunity must be reformed
It’s one thing for criminal justice reformers to call for an end to qualified immunity. But it’s something else to hear a former Chicago cop issue the same call for…
California makes reforms to qualified immunity
California lawmakers may have passed some truly odd bills in their most recent session, but they also managed to do some good – including reforms to qualified immunity. As the…
Supreme Court ducks qualified immunity cases
The U.S. Supreme Court dealt criminal justices reform a serious blow recently when it decided not to hear appeals of two cases involving qualified immunity. As Reason’s Billy Binion writes:…
Trying to bring an end to the ‘Constitution-free zone’
The Supreme Court may be given another opportunity to fix the immunity problem it created – and allowed to spin out of control. According to the Institute for Justice, the…
Qualified immunity violates principle of limited government
With Congress poised to punt on qualified immunity reform, the effort to temper the court-created doctrine that shields government officials from accountability for violating citizens’ constitutional rights likely heads back…
Congress balks at qualified immunity reform
Criminal justice reform backers who hoped Congress would take at least some steps to curb the court-created doctrine of qualified immunity are reportedly in for a huge disappointment: Police reform…
Taking the fight against qualified immunity back to the Supreme Court
The Institute for Justice is taking the fight against qualified immunity back to the Supreme Court, asking the justices to take up two cases in which federal law enforcement officials…
Qualified immunity hurts school kids, too
The debate over qualified immunity has focused largely on how the court-manufactured doctrine has provided sweeping protections to law enforcement officials who willfully violate individual’s constitutional rights. But the doctrine’s…
