Topic
Every decision we've filed under Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of qualified immunity to prison officials who conducted repeated visual strip searches of an inmate. The court assumed the searches were unconstitutional but found the law was not clearly established at the time.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit brought by a protester severely injured by police less-lethal munitions. The court held that the plaintiff failed to plead facts establishing a clearly established Fourth Amendment seizure or a conscience-shocking violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of unlawful search and seizure claims against three officers but reversed the dismissal of a false arrest claim against the arresting officer. The court vacated the dismissal of failure to intervene and malicious prosecution claims, remanding them for consideration on the merits.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights suit arising from a police shooting of a suicidal man. The court held that officers were entitled to qualified immunity because no clearly established law prohibited their use of force or show of force under the specific circumstances.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to two law enforcement officers involved in a fatal welfare check. The appellate court held that the law was not clearly established at the time regarding the use of less-lethal force against an armed, suicidal individual.
The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's denial of qualified immunity for two officers involved in a fatal welfare check. The court held that the law was not clearly established regarding the use of less-lethal force against an armed, suicidal individual.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to police officers who mistakenly entered the wrong apartment. The court held that the officers' actions were not clearly established as unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment given the exigent circumstances and lack of binding precedent.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a conviction for possession of methamphetamine, ruling that the district court did not clearly err in finding reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop. The court further held that a drug dog sniff did not unlawfully prolong the stop because the K-9 unit arrived before the officer completed his investigation.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge to a county tax collector's recording policy. The court held that the policy was a reasonable, viewpoint-neutral restriction in a limited public forum and that the plaintiff's second lawsuit was barred by res judicata.
The Eleventh Circuit reversed the denial of qualified immunity for a police lieutenant who stopped two brothers in a high-crime area. The court affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for an officer who deployed a taser a second time on a suspect who was no longer resisting.