Topic
Every decision we've filed under Fourth Amendment - Search & Seizure.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court dismissal of Fourth Amendment claims, holding that prior state court orders did not constitute final judgments under Arizona law. The court further determined that the police officers lacked qualified immunity because the arrests were based on an objectively unreasonable dispersal order.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for four police officers in a Fourth Amendment suit arising from a seizure of a suspected overdose victim. The court held that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity because they had an objectively reasonable basis to seize the plaintiff under the emergency-aid doctrine.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit dismissed portions of an appeal regarding qualified immunity while affirming the denial of immunity on other claims. The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to review Heck doctrine arguments and factual disputes, but found that genuine issues of material fact precluded summary judgment on Brady and malicious prosecution claims.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for law enforcement officers in a Fourth Amendment excessive force case. The court held that the deputies were entitled to qualified immunity because their use of force was objectively reasonable and the law was not clearly established.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a conviction for drug trafficking and firearm possession, rejecting a challenge to a prolonged traffic stop and warrantless vehicle search. The court held that officer testimony regarding the smell of marijuana provided both reasonable suspicion to extend the stop and probable cause to search the vehicle under the automobile exception.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of a citizen journalist's claims against police officers, ruling that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling granting qualified immunity to police officers in a civil rights lawsuit. The court held that the officers had probable cause to arrest the plaintiff and did not use excessive force during the encounter.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a petition for rehearing en banc in a Fourth Amendment case involving warrantless observation through a motel window. A dissent argued that the majority eroded privacy protections by relying on a plain view doctrine that ignored the reasonable expectation of privacy behind closed curtains.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a plaintiff stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. The court held that the Federal Tort Claims Act bars claims for intentional torts committed during the detention of goods at a border inspection.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court order extending a consent decree by one hundred eighteen days due to substantial noncompliance by immigration officials. The court reversed in part the lower court's order releasing hundreds of potential class members, holding that the government's mandatory detention authority under Section twelve hundred twenty-five does not apply to noncitizens unlawfully present within the United States.