A sheriff’s deputy from Pulaski county was found to not have qualified immunity for mistakenly charging a woman with drug distribution. Qualified Immunity is a judicially created doctrine that gives certain government officials immunity from civil suits related to acts done in their job. The modern iteration of qualified immunity stems from the case Harlow v. Fitzgerald, where the court moved from a subjective good faith standard to forcing the plaintiff to show that the government official broke clearly established law. In general courts have moved toward a more government friendly position since Harlow v. Fitzgerald. With qualified immunity under more scrutiny today, some judges appear more willing to reach the merits rather than dispose of claims at summary judgment.
Read More: https://valawyersweekly.com/2020/10/29/no-immunity-for-officer-who-charged-wrong-suspect/
