Qualified immunity prevents law enforcement from being held personally accountable for violating people’s rights. It allows law enforcement to cross legal lines they know they should not, while dehumanizing members of our communities.
Ending qualified immunity means that law enforcement officers who break the law can be held personally accountable, and victims of police misconduct can receive justice. Ending qualified immunity means supporting personal accountability.
Qualified Immunity (QI) shields law enforcement and other public officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations in civil court. Since police officers are rarely charged criminally for their violence and misconduct, civil court is often the only avenue for victims to receive justice.
Read LDF Assistant Counsel Georgina Yeomans’ op-ed in Slate about how qualified immunity is wreaking havoc in schools and has been used to protect teachers who physically abuse students.
Mahogane Reed, LDF’s John Payton Appellate and Supreme Court Advocacy Fellow, joined the podcast Unaccountable to discuss qualified immunity.
It is critical for our legal system to facilitate fair and effective accountability for law enforcement. Barriers to accountability, such as qualified immunity, must not allow law enforcement to escape consequences for their actions.
