Police Abuse
The Fear That Abolishing Qualified Immunity Would Expose Cops to Ruinous Personal Liability Is a Big Fat Red Herring
A study of civil rights cases found that "police officers are virtually always indemnified" by their employers.
Phoenix Authorities Used 'ACAB' Slogan To Designate Protesters as a Gang
Umbrellas, black clothing, and chanting "all cops are bastards" signal criminal street gang membership, prosecutors said.
Baton Rouge Cops Strip-Searched a Minor During a Traffic Stop and Entered a Family's Home Without a Warrant. The City Just Settled for $35,000.
The case is an indictment on just how hard it is to get accountability when the government violates your rights.
Texas Deputies Say They Were 'Molested and Traumatized' by Colleagues During Federally Funded Prostitution Stings
Plus: Georgia loses suit over anti-boycotting law, conservatives rally against Biden's IRS plan, and more...
A City Got Protections From Qualified Immunity After a Cop Killed a Man. SCOTUS Won't Hear the Case.
The decision will make it even more difficult for victims to hold the government accountable when their rights are violated.
Louisiana Troopers Claimed Ronald Greene Died in a Car Crash. Body Cam Footage Shows a Deadly Beating.
The state has refused to release the video for the past two years, but the Associated Press got its own copy.
A Euclid Cop Killed a Man Who Had Been Sleeping in His Car. The Cop Can't Be Sued. The City Can't Be, Either.
The Supreme Court has a chance to fix this. The stakes are high.
Congressional Democrats Waffle on Qualified Immunity
Cops say they can't function without qualified immunity, while their supporters on the right say abolishing it would be a step toward defunding the police. Neither claim is true.
Cops Who Beat a Man After Pulling Him Over for Broken Lights Receive Qualified Immunity
The victim will now have no right to argue his case before a jury in civil court.
Former Florida Sheriff's Deputy Found Guilty of Planting Drugs on Motorists
Reason obtained body camera footage of the deputy falsely arresting a man in 2019.
Chicago Police Agree to Reforms After Wrong-Door Raid on a Naked Woman's Home Sparked Nearly 100 Misconduct Allegations
Some of the changes may make a difference. Others, not so much.
Alabama Legislature Passes Modest Asset Forfeiture Reforms
A requirement that law enforcement obtain a conviction before it can forfeit property was stripped from the bill.
He Lost His Eye After a Cop Allegedly Fired a Tear Gas Canister at His Face. The Officer Says He Has Qualified Immunity.
If the officer succeeds, the victim will not be allowed to sue on those claims.
The Police Dog Who Cried Drugs at Every Traffic Stop
Cops laugh about “probable cause on four legs” but the damage to innocent lives is real.
Does This Elderly Veteran Have Any Recourse Against the Federal Cops Who Brutally Assaulted Him?
SCOTUS will soon decide whether to hear José Oliva’s argument that he should be allowed to sue V.A. officers for violating his Fourth Amendment rights.
Cops Wrecked a Home, Terrorized a Family, Assaulted a Man. It Was the Wrong Place.
Hernan Palma is suing after he says he was punched in the face and his family restrained by cops during a botched no-knock drug raid.
Why Is the Justice Department Trying To Punish Derek Chauvin Twice?
The federal charges against Chauvin and three other officers involved in George Floyd's death are more about making a statement than seeking justice.
Watch a Cop Intentionally Damage a Car While Executing a Search Warrant
A Messina, New York, police officer is under investigation after video showed him intentionally slamming a door into a car several times.
Arizona's Newly Enacted Forfeiture Reforms Will Make It Harder for Cops To Steal Property
The new law requires a criminal conviction prior to civil forfeiture and beefs up due process protections for property owners.
Mississippi Cops Kill Baby in Barrage of Gunfire
Plus: Florida's cronyist social media bill, who corporate tax increases really hurt, and more...
Cops Receive Qualified Immunity for Coercing a 13-Year-Old Into Confessing to a Murder He Didn't Commit
The boy was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment.
Cops Who Killed a Man While Holding Him in a Hog-Tie Position Got Qualified Immunity. The Appeals Court Wasn't Having It.
Up for debate was whether or not it was "clearly established" that officers cannot apply injurious force to a subject who isn't resisting.
Tennessee Man Arrested for Posting Picture Mocking Dead Police Officer Files First Amendment Lawsuit
Police arrested and charged Joshua Garton with harassment for posting a photoshopped picture of two men urinating on a police officer's grave.
Some States Are Finally Getting Serious About Addressing Police Misconduct
Reforms like the ones recently passed in Maryland and New Mexico offer a better long-term fix than the conviction of one police officer.
If Biden Is Serious About Criminal Justice Reform, He Needs To Get Serious About Qualified Immunity
The doctrine shields state actors from accountability.
The Cops Trashed Her House. She Says She Was Targeted for Retaliation.
A Virginia lawyer successfully defended her stepson in court. Three days later, police raided her house using a flimsy search warrant.
How Press Freedom—and Section 230—Led to Derek Chauvin's Conviction
Imagine a world in which media outlets were unable or afraid to post video of police and other authorities acting reprehensibly.
Tim Scott Is Proposing a Major Reform to Qualified Immunity
The GOP has resisted reining in the doctrine. That might change.
Experts Agree That Outdoor Post-Vaccination Masking Is Useless
Plus: U.S. approves sanctions on Myanmar's state-run businesses, Howard University dissolves its classics department, and more...
The Chauvin Verdict Is a Reminder That We Still Need To Abolish Qualified Immunity
Most victims of police misconduct never get to take their cases to court.
Can Cops Pull You Over for Hanging an Air Freshener From Your Rearview Mirror? You'd Better Check.
Bans on dangling objects are just one example of the myriad petty rules that give police the power to stop nearly any driver at will.
Biden Applauds Derek Chauvin Guilty Verdict, Condemns Violent 'Agitators and Extremists'
Plus: An anti-tech crusader could be joining the FTC, threats to free speech at Columbia University, and more...
Jurors Could Not Believe That a Reasonable Officer Would Have Done What Derek Chauvin Did
The guilty verdicts on all three counts reflect the logical force of the prosecution's case as well as the emotional impact of watching the assault on George Floyd.
A Few Thoughts in Anticipation of the Derek Chauvin Verdict
Whatever happens, much will remain to be done to curb police abuse. But there is still no justification for rioting.
Cops Seize Bikes and Arrest 1 Teen Over Traffic Violations and Bike Licenses
It's yet another example of the effects of having to enforce dumb laws.
Derek Chauvin Trial Judge Thinks Maxine Waters Gave the Defense an Option for Appeal
Plus: All American adults are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and Keith Olbermann briefly returns to the spotlight.
The Defense Argues That Derek Chauvin's Fear of George Floyd's 'Superhuman Strength' Justified His Deadly Use of Force
"This wasn't policing," the prosecution says. "This was murder."
Florida's 'Anti-Rioting' Bill Gives the Government New Powers That Have Nothing to Do With Riots
Among other things, it calls for online censorship to shield identities of public officials and lets the governor control city police budgets.
Body Camera Footage Shows a Chicago Cop Shooting a 13-Year-Old Boy Who Had His Hands Up
Prosecutors initially suggested that the boy had a gun in his hand, but the government walked that back today.
Although a Defense Witness Says George Floyd's Death Should Not Have Been Deemed a Homicide, His Account Underlines Derek Chauvin's Culpability
The defense rested without calling Chauvin to the stand, and closing arguments are expected on Monday.
