Category Archives: Police Misconduct
What’s Next for Fixing Qualified Immunity & Better Protecting Criminal Defendants from Police Misconduct
Many had high hopes for the US Supreme Court potentially doing away with qualified immunity, which shields police officers from being held accountable in instances of police brutality after violating individuals’ constitutional rights, including when those violations result in death, unless there is an existing judicial decision with substantially similar facts establishing that the… Read More »
State Prosecutor Accuses DOJ of Blocking Investigation into Potential Police Misconduct
The state prosecutor is suing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over what many suspect to be police misconduct and civil rights issues involving police officers (members of a fugitive task force) shooting 59 bullets into a schizophrenic college student. While the police claimed that they had a warrant to enter the victim’s residency… Read More »
Jeff Sessions Lets States Off-Hook for Criminal Justice Issues before Exiting Position
Before he left as Attorney General in November, Jeff Sessions issued a final memo in an attempt to limit federal oversight of police officers accused of abusive and unconstitutional conduct. Specifically, he limited the Department of Justice’s ability to enforce certain patterns of conduct via court-enforced consent decrees when it comes to police departments… Read More »
Supreme Court Rules For Police In Excessive Force Case
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning police officer conduct in an excessive force case—arguably involving both police misconduct and racial profiling—sends an alarming signal to the public, as noted by Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her dissent. Specifically, it sends the message that officers can shoot first and think later, and that unreasonable conduct… Read More »
New York Jury Convicts NYPD Detective Of Police Misconduct
On January 24th, a Queens jury convicted one New York Police Department of serious police misconduct in a case that has dominated national headlines. The detective—Kevin Desormeau—was found guilty of perjury, making and effectively creating a bogus drug case against an innocent man who, as a result, spent time in jail at Rikers Island…. Read More »