Case law

Reardon v. State of Mississippi

District Court, N.D. Mississippi · Jun 28, 2023

Once an individual raises qualified immunity in good faith, the burden shifts “to the plaintiff, who must rebut the defense by establishing that the official’s allegedly wrongful conduct violated clearly established law … Here, once the individual actors raised qualified immunity, the burden shifted to Reardon to point to clearly established law indicating that the individual actors’ conduct was unlawful.

Gordon v. Holly Springs School District

District Court, N.D. Mississippi · Sep 27, 2021

Thomas, 843 F.3d 172, 177 (5th Cir. 2016) (“Qualified immunity protects officers from suit unless their conduct violates a clearly established constitutional right.”) (quoting Mace v. … Qualified immunity calls for a bifurcated test in which the court must first determine (1) “whether the plaintiff has alleged a violation of a clearly established statutory or constitutional right that was clearly established

Hamid Yazdianpour v. Safeblood Technologies, Inc.

779 F.3d 530 · Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Feb 27, 2015

Ct. 884, 891-92 (2011) (“Ordinarily, orders denying summary judgment do not qualify as ‘final decisions’ subject to appeal [under 28 U.S.C. § 1291].”); 28 U.S.C. § 2107(a) (requiring appeal be filed within thirty days after … As Wanlass dealt with constructive knowledge for purposes of a laches defense, it is inapposite to the issue whether Licensees can establish justifiable reliance for purposes of a fraud claim under Arkansas law.

Herrera v. Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center

District Court, D. Nevada · Sep 9, 2025

The defendants enjoy qualified immunity from Herrera’s claims because 11 she has not shown that their conduct violated a clearly established right. 12 Qualified immunity shields government officials “from … unlawful, summary judgment based on qualified 4 immunity is appropriate.”32 5 The central dispositive inquiry for finding a right “clearly established” is “whether it

Schroeder v. Kochanowski

311 F. Supp. 2d 1241 · District Court, D. Kansas · Mar 31, 2004

The defense of qualified immunity shields government officials performing discretionary functions from individual liability under § 1983 unless their conduct violates “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights … reasonable in light of clearly established law.

Fambrough v. City of East Cleveland, Ohio

District Court, N.D. Ohio · Mar 19, 2025

“The doctrine of qualified immunity provides that ‘government officials performing discretionary functions generally are shielded from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established … Although Smedley was not entitled to qualified immunity at the motion to dismiss stage, the record before the Court on summary judgment establishes he is entitled to qualified immunity.

Perry v. Spencer

94 F.4th 136 · Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · Feb 21, 2024

The District Court granted summary judgment to the defendants based on qualified immunity after determining that, at the relevant time, clearly established law did not treat such prolonged solitary … immunity because the law was not clearly established at the time.

Laborde-Garcia v. Puerto

Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · May 18, 1993

The district court entered __________ an injunction ordering the Company to reinstate her, and it denied the individual defendants' claims of "qualified immunity." … Creighton, 483 U.S. 635 , 638-41 ___ ________ _________ (1987) (state actors have qualified immunity unless -8- 8 precedent would have alerted reasonable person that action would infringe "clearly established" constitutional

Brown v. Harris 6034

District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania · Mar 2, 2023

Qualified immunity protects officers when the law underlying the alleged violations is not clearly established. … Accordingly, the relevant right was not clearly established and Defendants are shielded by qualified immunity.

STEFANOV v. MCINTYRE

District Court, S.D. Indiana · Feb 14, 2023

"A state official is protected by qualified immunity unless the plaintiff shows: (1) that the official violated a statutory or constitutional right, and (2) that the right was clearly established at the time of the challenged … Stefanov has failed to establish that the constitutional right that he claims was violated was clearly established, Officer McIntyre is entitled to qualified immunity on Mr.

Estate of Richard Ward v. Lucero

Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · Jun 10, 2026

was clearly established at the time of the defendant’s violative conduct.” … whether that law was clearly established at the time of the alleged violation.”

Spurlock v. Satterfield

167 F.3d 995 · Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · Feb 11, 1999

Thus, Satterfield is not entitled to qualified immunity for these alleged acts, because they violated the plaintiffs’ clearly established constitutional rights. Y. … In rejecting Coarsey’s qualified immunity claim, the district court determined that ”[s]oIici-tation of false testimony for use in prosecuting an individual violates clearly established constitutional rights.”

Lance McNeal v. Gary Kott

590 F. App'x 566 · Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · Nov 4, 2014

To pierce the qualified immunity shield, McNeal must show (1) that Kott and LaLonde violated his constitutional rights and (2) that the right was “clearly established” at the time. See Leary, 528 F.3d at 441 . … Because McNeal cannot identify a violation of any “clearly established” right, Kott and LaLonde deserve qualified immunity.

Kennedy v. City of Villa Hills, Ky.

635 F.3d 210 · Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · Mar 24, 2011

In the context of qualified immunity, preexisting, clearly established law refers to “binding precedent from the Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit, the district court itself, or other circuits that is directly on point.” … To defeat Schutzman’s qualified- immunity defense, Kennedy must also demonstrate that his right to be free from retaliatory arrest in such a context was clearly established.

Ross W. Sorrels v. Ronald McKee David Buss Cly Evans Archie Grant Loreli, Cruthers Kay Walter Jim Blodgett Joseph Lehman

290 F.3d 965 · Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · May 17, 2002

The officials defended on grounds of qualified immunity, arguing that until the Ninth Circuit upheld the district court decision in Crofton , the law with respect to the “no gift publication” policy was not “clearly established … The law would be clearly established and defendants’ qualified immunity defense would fail.

Perkins

District Court, M.D. Alabama · Feb 3, 2026

Qualified Immunity Qualified immunity shields government officials from personal liability “for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established … Thus, Plaintiff also must show that the right allegedly violated by Commissioner Hamm was clearly established to overcome qualified immunity.

The Estate of Roosevelt Holliman v. Turner

District Court, N.D. Mississippi · Feb 10, 2023

constitutional right, and (2) that the right was clearly established at the time of the challenged conduct.” … Once qualified immunity has been “raised as a defense by a defendant, … the plaintiffs have the burden of establishing the proof and arguments necessary to overcome it.” Strickland v. City of Crenshaw, 114 F.

Wilson v. Kelkhoff

86 F.3d 1438 · Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit · Jun 18, 1996

P. 12(b)(6), arguing that Wilson’s complaint failed to state a claim because, among other things, Brown, Moore, and Wells were entitled to absolute or qualified immunity and Kelkhoff was entitled to qualified immunity. … The question of whether a particular constitutional right is clearly established is reviewed de novo. Maltby v. Winston, 36 F.3d 548, 555 (7th Cir.1994), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 115 S.Ct. 2576 , 132 L.Ed.2d 827 (1995).

Walczyk v. Rio

496 F.3d 139 · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · Aug 1, 2007

Only if the answer to the first question is yes must a court proceed to the inquiry for qualified immunity: Was the right at issue clearly established at the time of the defendant’s actions? … If the right at issue was not clearly established by then existing precedent, then qualified immunity shields the defendant.

T.D. v. Patton

868 F.3d 1209 · Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · Aug 28, 2017

Patton addresses only the second prong of her qualified-immunity defense— whether she violated a clearly established constitutional right. … Patton does not persuade us that she is entitled to qualified immunity for lack of clearly established law. i. Post-custody conduct Ms.