Case law

Gabriel Coker v. Arkansas State Police

734 F.3d 838 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Nov 5, 2013

In a § 1983 action, qualified immunity shields a government official from liability "unless his conduct violates 'clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.'" … the defendant violated a clearly established right."

Sherika Franklin v. Jason Popovich

111 F.4th 1188 · Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit · Aug 6, 2024

Thus, the court concluded, Franklin had not shown that Popovich violated clearly established law, and Popovich was entitled to qualified immunity. Franklin appealed. … concluded” that “the circumstances justified the use of deadly violation as well as the clearly established prong of the qualified immunity analysis. Id. at 1009–13.

David Wayne Givens v. Jimmy Jones, Terry Morris, Zak A. Ajans, M.D., Frederick Stephenson, Jr., Georgia Slater, and Denny Vasquez

900 F.2d 1229 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Apr 9, 1990

The standard we must apply in deciding whether the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity is well established. … Ajans on the basis of qualified immunity.

Michael J. Daugherty & Labmd, Inc. v. Sheer

891 F.3d 386 · Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit · Jun 1, 2018

“Qualified immunity depends upon the answers to two questions: (1) Did the officer’s conduct violate a constitutional or statutory right? If so, (2) was that right clearly established at the time of the violation?” … The proponent of a purported right has the “burden to show that the particular right in question . . . was clearly established” for qualified-immunity purposes. Dukore v. Dist. of Columbia, 799 F.3d 1137, 1145 (D.C.

Ronald Converse v. City of Kemah, Texas, et

961 F.3d 771 · Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · Jun 12, 2020

“Qualified immunity protects officers from suit unless their conduct violates a clearly established constitutional right.” Mace v. City of Palestine, 333 F.3d 621, 623 (5th Cir. 2003). … Prong 2: Violation of Clearly Established Law The second part of the qualified immunity analysis requires us to determine “whether the [D]efendants’ conduct was objectively unreasonable in light of clearly established

Nita Gordon v. Keith Bierenga

20 F.4th 1077 · Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · Dec 14, 2021

Under the familiar test for qualified immunity, a public official is immune from suit unless the plaintiff establishes: (1) a constitutional violation; and (2) that the right at issue was “clearly established” when the event … Even when a defendant violates a plaintiff’s constitutional rights, the defendant is entitled to qualified immunity unless the right at issue was “clearly established[.]” Id. (citing Pearson, 555 U.S. at 232).

Morse v. Fusto

804 F.3d 538 · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · Sep 11, 2015

Qualified Immunity “Qualified immunity protects public officials performing discretionary functions from personal liability in a civil suit for damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory … We conclude that the right in question was clearly established such that the defendants are not entitled to qualified immunity.

Affiliated Capital Corporation, Etc. v. City of Houston, Gulf Coast Cable Television and James J. McConn

735 F.2d 1555 · Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · Sep 17, 1984

Since we find that McConn is entitled to qualified immunity we need not reach the question of his absolute immunity. … The Mayor is absolved of liability only because applying the Harlow immunity standard he did not, as a matter of law, violate a clearly established law.

Baker v. Coburn

68 F.4th 240 · Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · May 17, 2023

violated clearly established law.” … Qualified immunity protects government officials “from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established stat- utory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would

Regina Barton v. Chad Ledbetter

908 F.3d 1119 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Nov 14, 2018

or statutory right; and (2) the right was clearly established at the time of the deprivation.” … Conclusion We affirm the denial of qualified immunity as to Martin. We reverse the denial of qualified immunity as to Wright.

William C. Powell v. Thomas J. Mikulecky, George Oates, Ruth Stephens and Wendall Gilliam

891 F.2d 1454 · Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · Dec 15, 1989

The test for qualified immunity is whether defendants violated “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” Harlow v. … Once a defendant raises the defense of qualified immunity as a defense to an action, “[t]he plaintiff carries the burden of convincing the court that the law was clearly established.”

Daniel Robbins v. City of Des Moines

984 F.3d 673 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Jan 5, 2021

To overcome a claim of qualified immunity, Robbins must demonstrate (1) a deprivation of a constitutional right, and (2) that the right was clearly established at the time of the deprivation. Id. … The defendant officers violated Robbins’s clearly established right to be free of unreasonable seizures of his property, see id., and are not entitled to qualified immunity. C.

Soares v. Connecticut

8 F.3d 917 · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · Nov 2, 1993

Accordingly, Konow is entitled to summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity. II. … can show that the rights plaintiff claims to have been violated were not “clearly established.”

Roger Lee v. William Driscoll

871 F.3d 581 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Sep 7, 2017

“We review de novo the district court’s denial of qualified immunity.” Id. at 813 . … a constitutional right’; and (2) whether the asserted constitutional right is clearly established.”

LaChance v. Town of Charlton

990 F.3d 14 · Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · Mar 3, 2021

Of course, prior cases with materially similar facts are not necessary to clearly establish conduct's illegality; a "general constitutional rule" located in prior authority can suffice to defeat qualified immunity even … (alteration in district court precedent when determining if constitutional rights are clearly established for purposes of qualified immunity.").

Sain v. Wood

512 F.3d 886 · Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit · Jan 9, 2008

Wood moved for summary judgment on the ground of qualified immunity. The district court denied his summary judgment motion, and Dr. Wood appeals the denial of qualified immunity. … Wood had disqualified himself from immunity by violating a clearly established constitutional right. Because the issue of Dr.

CLOANINGER EX REL. EST. OF CLOANINGER v. McDevitt

555 F.3d 324 · Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · Feb 9, 2009

If the law did not put the officer on notice that his conduct would be clearly unlawful, summary judgment based on qualified immunity is appropriate. … a claim of violation of clearly established law."

Ginger Elder v. Cindy Gillespie

54 F.4th 1055 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Dec 9, 2022

violations of their constitutional rights with respect to their continuing benefits claims and that those rights were clearly established.” … Government officials claiming a qualified immunity defense are protected “from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable

James F. Robinson v. Solano County Brian Cauwells, Solano County Sheriff's Deputy Officer Gary Faulkner, Solano County Sheriff's Deputy Officer

278 F.3d 1007 · Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · Feb 4, 2002

established in this circuit in 1995 to override the officers’ claim of qualified immunity. … Conclusion We hold that Officers Cauwells and Faulkner were entitled to qualified immunity on the federal excessive force claim because the Fourth Amendment law gov *1017 erning their conduct was not clearly established at

Shechter v. Comptroller of New York

79 F.3d 265 · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · Mar 21, 1996

It is not enough that defendants-appellants were “government officials” to establish qualified immunity. … Accordingly, defendants-appellants’ pleading is insufficient to establish their qualified immunity defense.