False Arrest and Qualified Immunity

One of our oldest friends (well, not really a “friend”) is back, the rational basis test. Turns out the government can justify refusing to give someone a license on the grounds that it’s extra work for the government itself to have to issue the license. That sounds kinda weird, right? IJ attorney Josh House agrees, as he discusses a new case from the Fifth Circuit. But it’s not all bad news this week. In the Sixth Circuit the police can’t receive qualified immunity when they lie on a police report. Turns out that’s an “obvious” constitutional violation. Yeah, who knew? Jared McClain of IJ explains pretty much everyone did.

Click here for transcript.

Newell-Davis v. Phillips

Caskey v. Fenton

St. Joseph Abbey v. Castille

Taylor v. Riojas