Qualified immunity is a Supreme Court-created doctrine that shields police officers from civil lawsuits even when they violate constitutional rights — unless the victim can find a prior case with nearly identical facts.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was shot more than six times by ICE agents during a traffic stop. The gang member label, his attorney says, came after the bullets — not before them.
A court ruled that police officers who sued Afroman for mocking their failed drug raid have no grounds to silence him — a crucial First Amendment victory as law enforcement increasingly uses civil suits to punish critics.
The Justice Department's move to dismiss charges against Louisville officers in the Breonna Taylor case signals the complete abandonment of federal police accountability efforts.