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SEARCHThe court overturned the lower-court decisions without ordering full briefing and argument, a sign it did not see them as close calls. There were no dissents.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned lower court decisions and granted qualified immunity to law enforcement officers in two separate cases Monday.
The court overturned the lower-court decisions without ordering full briefing and argument, a sign it did not see them as close calls. There were no dissents, the Washington Post reports.
In the new rulings, the court overturned a lower court’s decision that denied qualified immunity for officers in Oklahoma who fatally shot a man who was threatening them with a hammer. The court also overturned another lower court’s decision to deny qualified immunity to an officer in California who was accused of using excessive force while handcuffing a suspect.
On Monday, Patrick Yoes, president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said the decisions are “consistent with our deeply held beliefs and prior Supreme Court decisions.”
Greg Champagne, an official with the National Sheriffs’ Association, pushed back against criticism of the rulings, saying they did not provide “any type of blanket immunity” to officers.
