South Carolina Cops Target Out-of-State Drivers for Highway Robbery
No arrest necessary as South Carolina police hunt for cash
Qualified Immunity
Operation Rolling Thunder: The Shocking Truth Behind Spartanburg's Traffic Stops
A 21-month legal battle unveils the dark side of South Carolina's annual traffic crackdown.
Trump Wants Police To Be Above the Law
Donald Trump pledged to give cops "immunity from prosecution." The idea is both legally illiterate and dangerous.
9th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for Honolulu Cops Who Handcuffed 10-Year-Old Girl
Officers should have known that handcuffing a compliant 10-year-old is unnecessary, the court ruled.
A Federal Judge Rejects the Lame Excuses of Texas Cops Who Kidnapped a Supposedly 'Abandoned' Teenager
The decision clears the way for a jury to consider Megan and Adam McMurry's constitutional claims against the officers who snatched their daughter.
These Strange Bedfellows Want SCOTUS To Remind the 5th Circuit That Journalism Is Not a Crime
An ideologically diverse mix of individuals and organizations supports a Texas journalist who was arrested for asking questions.
This Journalist Was Arrested, Strip-Searched, and Jailed for Filming Police. Will He Get Justice?
Justin Pulliam's arrest and lawsuit once again demand we ask if "real" journalists are entitled to a different set of rights.
Trump's Anti-Crime Agenda Contradicts His Criticism of Biden's Legislative Record
Since he favors aggressive drug law enforcement, severe penalties, and impunity for abusive police officers, he may have trouble persuading black voters that he is on their side.
A Cop's Corruption Allegedly Cost an Innocent Man 2 Years of His Life. Should She Get Qualified Immunity?
Judge Carlton Reeves ripped apart the legal doctrine in his latest decision on the matter.
Can This Woman Sue the Rogue Prosecutor Who Allegedly Helped Upend Her Life?
Prosecutor Ralph Petty was also employed as a law clerk—by the same judges he argued before.
Trump Promises To Give Police 'Immunity From Prosecution'
The pledge, while mostly legally illiterate, offers a reminder of the former president's outlook on government accountability.
A Texas Reporter Busted for Asking Questions Asks SCOTUS To Reject the Criminalization of Journalism
Priscilla Villarreal is appealing a 5th Circuit decision that dismissed her First Amendment lawsuit against Laredo police and prosecutors.
A Cop Shot Her 11-Year-Old Son. Now She Might Lose Custody of Her Kids.
The local prosecuting attorney in Sunflower, Mississippi, is seeking to take away Nakala Murry's three children.
Texas SWAT Team Held Innocent Family at Gunpoint After Raiding the Wrong Home
The officers are avoiding accountability after getting qualified immunity.
78-Year-Old Grandmother Awarded $3.8 Million After Illegal SWAT Raid
The legal victory has been attributed to a 2020 law banning qualified immunity for police in Colorado.
Qualified Immunity Is Not Limited to Police Brutality. It Protects a Wide Variety of Abusive Officials.
An analysis of appeals involving the doctrine finds that less than a quarter "fit the popular conception of police accused of excessive force."
Buffalo Cops Denied Qualified Immunity for Arresting Man Who Called Officer an 'Asshole'
R. Anthony Rupp III was cited and detained after he called a police officer an "asshole" after the cop nearly drove into two pedestrians.
Cops Arrested Him for a Fictitious Traffic Violation Because He Flipped Them Off
A federal judge allowed a lawsuit against the officers to proceed, finding evidence of several constitutional violations.
He Was Arrested for Making a Joke on Facebook. A Jury Just Awarded Him $205,000 in Damages.
The verdict vindicates the constitutional rights that Louisiana sheriff's deputies flagrantly violated when they hauled Waylon Bailey off to jail.
The 5th Circuit Says Criminalizing Journalism Is Not Obviously Unconstitutional
The appeals court dismissed a civil rights lawsuit by a Laredo gadfly who was arrested for asking questions.
She Was Arrested for Her Journalism. A Federal Court Says She Can't Sue.
Priscilla Villarreal, also known as "Lagordiloca," has sparked a debate about free speech and who, exactly, is a journalist.
Accused of Dictatorial Ambitions, Trump Doubles Down on Authoritarianism
His understanding of effective leadership and policing should repel anyone who cares about civil liberties and the rule of law.
Donald Trump's Demand for Absolute Immunity for Crimes Committed While President Goes Far Beyond the Qualified Immunity Police Officers Get
Qualified immunity is a badly flawed doctrine the Supreme Court should abolish. But Trump's demands are much more extreme.
Republican Presidential Nomination
DeSantis Down and Out
Plus: Javier Milei’s powerful speech on economic prosperity in Davos
Trump's Demand for 'Total' Presidential Immunity Reflects His Authoritarian Impulses
The former president argues that accountability is the enemy of effectiveness, both for cops and for politicians.
Bad Apples
Plus: Libertarian populism, library wars, Latin American soft power, and more...
How To Get Away With Murder (According to Trump's Lawyers)
Step 1: Become president. That's the hardest part.
Trump's Promise to 'Indemnify' Cops 'Against Any and All Liability' Is Absurd for 2 Reasons
Police officers already are routinely indemnified, and suing them for abuse is much harder than Trump claims.
How Reason Changes Minds, Lives, and Laws by Covering Criminal Injustice
Yet another reason to donate to Reason's annual webathon!
Alabama Cops Who Arrested Mechanic for Not Giving Them His ID Denied Qualified Immunity
"The police are free to ask questions, and the public is free to ignore them," wrote a federal judge.
Tony Timpa Wrongful Death Trial Ends With 2 Out of 3 Cops Getting Qualified Immunity
The trial—and, in some sense, Timpa's life—was about transparency.
Seven Years Since He Died Under a Cop's Knee, His Mom Is Getting Her Day in Court
Tony Timpa's story shows how far the government goes to prevent victims of abuse from seeking recourse.
A Cop Jailed Her for 2 Years on Fake Charges. Will She Ever Get Justice?
St. Paul police officer Heather Weyker has thus far managed to get immunity for upending Hamdi Mohamud's life.
Former Prisoner Can Sue Officials Who Illegally Detained Him for 2 Months, 5th Circuit Says
The case is just one example of miscalculations that routinely keep Louisiana prisoners behind bars after they complete their sentences.
'No Reasonable Officer' Would Have Arrested a Guy for a COVID-19 Joke, the 5th Circuit Says
The appeals court ruled that a Facebook post alluding to World War Z was clearly protected by the First Amendment.
Sixth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to School Officials
Court finds parent's right to comment on their interactions with their child's coaches or teachers is cleartly established.
Penis Squeezing Not Protected by Qualified Immunity
Plus: FIRE fights college's vague "greater good" policy, Biden administration pushes double talk on tariffs, and more...
Police Reform and Police Recruitment Don't Have To Be at Odds
Better policing could solve the police-recruiting crisis.
Qualified Immunity May Shield FBI Agents Who Abused the No-Fly List
The feds routinely abuse people’s rights and claim they shouldn’t be held accountable.
Law Profs Tout Qualified Immunity for Unconstitutional Gun Restrictions
Promoting impunity for violating rights as a policy tool? What could go wrong?
Qualified Immunity Meets the Takings Clause
A Sixth Circuit decision holds qualified immunity protects a state elevator inspector from being sued for taking a hotel's property.
Why Is It So Hard for Victims of Police Abuse To Get Justice?
Joanna Schwartz on how law enforcement "became untouchable"
Codifiers' Errors and 42 U.S.C. 1983
with relevance to both a 1980 precedent and a recent article by Alex Reinert
Lawsuit: Police Officer Broke a 61-Year-Old Woman's Leg, Then Bragged He 'Man-Dropped' Her
Before assaulting her, the cops taunted her for being homeless, she claims.
Lawsuit Claims Portland Police Shot Unarmed Homeless Man, Then Ate Pizza While His Body Lay on the Ground
Robert Delgado's family is now seeking damages.
