Topic
Qualified Immunity
356 published works
Kirakosian Law Blog
How to Sue the Police in California: A Civil Rights Attorney’s Guide
Yes, you can sue the police in California. Every week I talk to people who were beaten, arrested for nothing, or treated like criminals for asking a question, and most…
WisBar Court Review
Seventh Circuit: Deputy Involved in Fatal Crash Gets Qualified Immunity
By Jay D. Jerde
Oct. 27, 2026 — A Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy whose distracted driving resulted in a fatal accident has qualified immunity, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit decided…
Zalma on Insurance
Statements of Opinion Generally are not Actionable
By Barry Zalma
Officer Entitled to Minimal Damages After Discipline for Wrong Doing Post 4859 No Right to Abuse Prisoner In Darryl R. Wormuth, et al. v. Prince George’s County, et al., No. 23-cv-2905-ABA,…
AZAPP Blog
Aldasoro v. Pavlinch – 9/24/2026
By Rob Franks
As he was responding to an emergency call, a City of Phoenix police officer ran a red light. In doing so, he crashed into a passenger vehicle, which then ricocheted…
California Appellate Report
Medrano v. Acosta (9th Cir. – Sept. 25, 2026)
By Shaun Martin
District Judge Frimpong held that officers were potentially liable if they indeed did what Alex Medrano said they did, so denied their motion for qualified immunity. On appeal, Judges Callahan…
Kirakosian Law Blog
Is Being Drunk in Public a Crime in California? What Penal Code § 647(f) Really Requires
A hotel guest on Catalina Island had been drinking. He got locked out of his room, was polite with the deputies who showed up, and asked for their badge numbers.…
Kirakosian Law Blog
Qualified Immunity for Police Officers: What It Is and How It Affects Your Rights
Qualified immunity is a legal defense that can shield individual police officers from personal liability in civil rights lawsuits, even when their conduct violated the Constitution, unless the officer violated…
Kirakosian Law Blog
The Bane Act: California’s Civil Rights Law and the Fight Over Intent
Most people think suing the police is purely a federal thing. In California there is a second, often stronger path: the Bane Act. But it turns on a hard question…
Wait A Second!
You have a First Amendment right to videotape the outside of a police building
By secondcircuitcivilrightsblogsecondcircuitcivilrig
The Court of Appeals holds for the first time that you have a First Amendment right to film the exterior of the local police station. But the plaintiff, who was…
North Carolina Criminal Law
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (July 2026)
By Phil Dixon
This post summarizes criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during July of 2026. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized monthly.…