Qualified Immunity

9th Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity for Officers in High-Risk Traffic Stop Case

Leave a Comment / False Arrest, False Imprisonment, Qualified Immunity / By

Hasmik Chinaryan was driving home with her teenage daughter and a friend after a family event when a police officer mistakenly believed her vehicle was stolen due to a series of errors, including incorrect license plates issued by the DMV. Despite driving lawfully for over ten minutes while being followed by a police car, the …

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Ninth Circuit Upholds Denial of Qualified Immunity in Fourth Amendment Excessive Force and First Amendment Retaliation Case Involving Peaceful Protester

Leave a Comment / Officer-Involved Shooting, Police Excessive Force, Qualified Immunity / By

In the summer of 2020, Derrick Sanderlin attended a protest in San Jose, California, following the death of George Floyd. During the protest, Officer Michael Panighetti shot Sanderlin in the groin with a 40mm foam baton round. Sanderlin sued Panighetti, claiming that the use of force was retaliatory and excessive, violating his First and Fourth …

Ninth Circuit Upholds Denial of Qualified Immunity in Fourth Amendment Excessive Force and First Amendment Retaliation Case Involving Peaceful Protester Read More »

Ninth Circuit Reverses Qualified Immunity on Firearm Possession and Deadly Force

Leave a Comment / General, Qualified Immunity / By

Calonge v. City of San Jose On the afternoon of October 31, 2019, in San Jose, Decedent Calonge was spotted near a shopping center carrying a Powerline 340 BB gun. Mistaking it for a real handgun, a passerby called 911. Shortly after, another caller reported seeing a man with a gun near Independence High School, …

Ninth Circuit Reverses Qualified Immunity on Firearm Possession and Deadly Force Read More »

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