Pew: 66 Percent Support Changes to Qualified Immunity
22 hours ago
Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.
A Pew Charitable Trust survey on law enforcement reform shows broad public support for limiting qualified immunity – the court-created doctrine that shields public officials, including law enforcement, who violate an individual’s constitutional rights– from personal liability.
Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say that civilians need to have the power to sue police officers to hold them accountable for misconduct and excessive use of force, even if that makes the officers’ jobs more difficult. Just 32% say that, in order for police officers to do their jobs effectively, they need to be shielded from such lawsuits.
Congress has yet to decide what, if anything, it will do regarding qualified immunity. A Congressional Research Service report noted that because “qualified immunity is a product of statutory interpretation, Congress has wide authority to amend, expand, or even abolish the doctrine.â€
https://forliberty.news/2020/07/28/pew-66-percent-support-changes-qualified-immunity-rs-nl/