qualified immunity
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'Big Gretch,' aka Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Got Some Splainin' to Do!
It’s hard for me to think about Big Gretch, the nickname Detroit rapper Gmac Cash bestowed upon Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, without thinking of Big Meech, who was born Demetrius Flenory. He was a notorious drug kingpin and leader of the Black Mafia Family who was born and raised in Detroit and later moved…
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For Years, ‘Qualified Immunity’ Protected Violent Cops. Could a New Court Decision Mark a Shift?
On Tuesday, a federal court went against more than a decade of decisions in denying qualified immunity to a cop who shot a black man 22 times. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel concerns the case of Wayne Jones, who was shot and killed in West Virginia in 2013 by five cops, who fired…
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Study Finds Supreme Court Almost Always Rules in Favor of Police In Excessive Force Cases
It’s a widely accepted belief that the legal system will almost never hold police officers accountable for their actions, and now, a recent study has provided the numbers to back that claim. An investigation conducted by Reuters examined 500 cases to see if the Supreme Court proves Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s assertion that the court acts…
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Julián Castro Explains Why Ending Police Brutality Is Central to His Campaign
“To black and brown communities out there that deal with the impact of excessive force by police: I would say that we see you, we hear you.” —Julián Castro text As the 2020 presidential race continues to unfold, there are certain things I have come to expect from particular candidates during the Democratic debates. When…
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Julián Castro Wants to Stop Police Brutality by Getting Rid of Qualified Immunity
“Qualified immunity” refers to one of the most powerful federal laws that protects police officers from personal liability in cases of deadly force. But if Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro has his way, the doctrine will be scrapped if he becomes president. Last week, Castro introduced his “People First Policing Plan” which outlines how he…
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Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Fight Against Police Brutality
In a decision handed down Monday, the Supreme Court made it even more difficult for victims of police violence to bring action against police officers who use excessive force. As the Los Angeles Times reports, the high court ruled in favor of an Arizona police officer who shot a woman outside her home because she…