Topic
Every decision we've filed under Qualified Immunity.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed that prison officials violated an inmate's Eighth Amendment rights by using her as bait to catch a sexual predator, but reversed the damages award due to insufficient evidence and procedural errors. The court ordered a new trial on compensatory and punitive damages while leaving the liability finding intact.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed that prison officials acted with deliberate indifference by using an inmate as bait to catch a staff member who was sexually assaulting her, rejecting their qualified immunity defense. However, the court reversed the damages award, ordering a new trial because the jury lacked sufficient evidence to link the officials to the abuse prior to their specific knowledge and because the exclusion of evidence regarding the inmate's state of mind prejudiced the punitive damages calculation.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed qualified immunity for the officer who tackled a suspect during a drug raid but reversed the immunity grant for a second officer whose rifle struck the suspect's head. The court held that disputed facts regarding whether the blow was intentional or accidental preclude summary judgment on the excessive force claim.
The Supreme Court held that a pretrial order denying Yearsley protection is not immediately appealable because the doctrine provides a merits defense rather than an immunity from suit. Consequently, the denial fails the third prong of the collateral-order doctrine, as the issue remains effectively reviewable after a final judgment.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a police officer who conducted a warrantless search of an apartment following a stabbing. The court held that the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because it was not clearly established law that such a search violated the Fourth Amendment under the emergency aid exception.
The Tenth Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of Fourth Amendment claims against Colorado Springs police officers, holding that three search warrants executed during a housing-rights march were overbroad and violated clearly established law. The court affirmed the dismissal of claims against the FBI regarding data retention but remanded the remaining claims for further proceedings.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers in a civil rights suit involving an inventory search of a trespasser's vehicle. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the officers' conduct was clearly established as unlawful and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing an adverse inference instruction for missing dashcam footage.
The First Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Soscia Holdings' federal constitutional and statutory claims against state officials, upholding Eleventh Amendment immunity for the State and qualified immunity for individual defendants. The court sustained the district court's dismissal of remaining federal claims arising from a civil penalty assessment under the state Permitting Act.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Chariot Campbell's Section 1983 lawsuit alleging constitutional violations during child custody proceedings. The court held that DCFS employees were protected by sovereign and qualified immunity and that LSSI failed to state a claim for violating constitutional rights.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a prison doctor and her employer, ruling that delays in treating a prisoner's broken hand did not constitute deliberate indifference under the Eighth Amendment. The court held that the medical staff's reliance on standard scheduling procedures and their reasonable response to the injury negated any claim of constitutional violation.