Topic
Every decision we've filed under Qualified Immunity.
The Eighth Circuit reversed the denial of summary judgment for a police officer on a false arrest claim, finding he had probable cause to arrest the plaintiff. The court held that the officer's observations of the plaintiff's behavior and medical history provided sufficient grounds for the arrest despite conflicting expert testimony.
The Eighth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that allowed a wrongful death and civil rights claim to proceed against correctional officers. The appellate court held that the officers were protected by official and qualified immunity because their duties involved discretion and the complaint failed to plausibly allege deliberate indifference.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed dismissal of Red Rover Group's constitutional and related claims over Bossier City's barking noise ordinances. The court held the complaint did not plausibly allege an equal protection violation, the ordinances were not unconstitutionally vague, and the remaining claims failed without an underlying constitutional violation.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a due process challenge brought by correctional officers terminated for using force before exhausting other options. The court held that the department rule requiring force only as a last resort was not unconstitutionally vague as applied to the officers.
The Tenth Circuit dismissed an interlocutory appeal for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. The appeal involved a denial of a motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity.
The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied qualified immunity to police officers in a civil rights suit. The court held that the right to familial association was not clearly established at the time of the alleged misconduct in the early nineteen nineties.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of qualified immunity to two San Francisco police inspectors who allegedly coerced a witness into fabricating evidence against a man later exonerated after thirty-two years in prison. The court held that a reasonable jury could find the officers violated the plaintiff's due process rights by threatening a young witness with an adult murder charge to secure a false statement.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that no Fourth Amendment violation occurred when an officer shot a man he mistakenly believed to be an active shooter. The court held that the officer's split-second decision to use deadly force was objectively reasonable under the totality of the circumstances.
The Fifth Circuit reversed a district court ruling that denied a police officer's motion to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit. The court held that the officer was entitled to qualified immunity after fatally shooting a fleeing suspect who was armed with a handgun.
The Fifth Circuit held that a district court order denying a motion to dismiss without expressly addressing a qualified immunity defense is immediately appealable under the collateral-order doctrine. The court vacated the lower court's order and remanded the case for the district court to rule on the qualified immunity defense at the earliest possible stage.