April 21 | Albany, NY
What is qualified Immunity? Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine invented by the Supreme Court that shields government officials from civil lawsuits when they violate your constitutional rights—even in cases of extreme brutality or clear misconduct.
The doctrine requires victims to prove that the specific right violated was "clearly established" by finding a prior court case with nearly identical facts. In practice, this has become an almost impossible standard to meet.
Even when courts acknowledge that an official violated someone's constitutional rights, they routinely grant immunity because no previous case involved the exact same circumstances.
The result: officials walk free, victims are denied justice, and unconstitutional behavior continues unchecked.
