Topic
Every decision we've filed under Qualified Immunity.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated a district court's grant of summary judgment in an Eighth Amendment deliberate-indifference case involving prison violence. The appellate court held that statistical evidence and specific facility conditions created a genuine dispute of material fact regarding a substantial risk of serious harm.
The Fifth Circuit dismissed an interlocutory appeal by Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections officials claiming qualified immunity. The court held that while it could review the legal question of authority under prior precedent, it lacked jurisdiction to resolve the factual disputes regarding the conditions of confinement.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of summary judgment against police detectives and a prosecutor in a civil rights suit alleging a reckless investigation and evidence suppression. The court held that genuine disputes of material fact exist regarding whether the defendants violated clearly established law by ignoring exculpatory evidence and coercing witnesses.
The Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling granting qualified immunity to two state troopers who shot and killed a driver during a traffic stop. The court held that the troopers did not violate clearly established law when they used force to stop a vehicle that accelerated with an officer partially inside.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Fourth Amendment excessive-force claim against a paramedic who restrained a man in traffic. The court held that the plaintiff failed to show the right was clearly established under qualified immunity.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity for two detention officers who delayed checking on an inmate for twenty minutes to avoid extra paperwork. The court held that the officers violated clearly established law by consciously disregarding a substantial risk of serious harm after hearing sounds of distress.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity to two supervisory correctional officers who failed to act on repeated warnings about a detainee's severe medical condition. The court held that the right to adequate medical care for pretrial detainees was clearly established, even when non-medical officers initially deferred to medical staff.
The Eleventh Circuit reversed a district court's grant of summary judgment to a correctional officer in a prisoner's excessive force case. The appellate court found that video evidence did not clearly contradict the inmate's account of a violent takedown and subsequent pain compliance technique.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court order denying a pro se litigant leave to amend his complaint. The appellate panel found the lower court acted within its authority in dismissing the case for failing to state a claim and for being time-barred.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a summary judgment dismissing a plaintiff's false arrest and excessive force claims against a police officer. The court held that the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because the plaintiff failed to identify controlling authority clearly establishing that the officer's conduct violated the Fourth Amendment.