Case law

Ex parte State Board of Education

219 So. 3d 604 · Supreme Court of Alabama · Sep 9, 2016

Richardson’s actions violated the respondents’ clearly established rights, rendering qualified immunity inappropriate. *616 In analyzing whether a right is clearly established, we must consider whether preexisting law at … The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has stated that, within that circuit, “the law can be ‘clearly established’ for qualified immunity purposes only by decisions of the U.S.

Kemp v. Liebel

229 F. Supp. 3d 828 · District Court, S.D. Indiana · Jan 20, 2017

To survive summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds, therefore, Plaintiffs must establish that the right they claim was clearly established in this judicial circuit. Jacobs, 215 F.3d at 767. … Thus we hold that Plaintiffs have failed to meet the “clearly established” standard sufficient to defeat Mr. Liebel’s qualified immunity defense to their claims.

Scott Peatross v. City of Memphis

818 F.3d 233 · Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · Mar 29, 2016

violated clearly established law.”) … Cupp, 430 F.3d 766, 774 (6th Cir. 2005), the right is clearly established.

Pauley v. Anchorage School District

31 P.3d 1284 · Alaska Supreme Court · Oct 5, 2001

Where it is alleged that an official has violated a statute, qualified immunity may be overcome "if the officials have violated 'clearly established' law, unless the officials can prove that they non-negligently were not … In claims of excessive force brought against a police officer qualified immunity will be sustained if "a reasonable official could have believed the challenged conduct was lawful in light of clearly established law and the

Booth v. City of Dallas

312 F.R.D. 427 · District Court, N.D. Texas · Dec 18, 2015

“The doctrine of qualified immunity shields ‘government officials performing discretionary functions ... from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional … That is, even if a government official’s conduct violates a clearly established right, the official is entitled to immunity if his conduct was objectively reasonable. See Davis v.

Caretolive v. Von Eschenbach

525 F. Supp. 2d 952 · District Court, S.D. Ohio · Dec 4, 2007

Qualified Immunity Qualified immunity protects government officials performing discretionary functions from suit for damages as long as their conduct “does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights … Instead, to establish that a right was clearly established in a qualified immunity analysis, this Court must look first to the decisions of the United States Supreme Court and then to the case law of this circuit.

Stramaski v. Lawley

44 F.4th 318 · Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · Aug 11, 2022

Bratch, 287 F.3d 673, 681–82 & n.13 (8th Cir. 2002) (rejecting qualified immunity defense because FMLA creates clearly established rights but stating defendant did not raise argument regarding application of qualified immunity … immunity because she does not allege that Lawley violated a clearly established law.

Taylor v. LeBlanc

68 F.4th 223 · Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · May 15, 2023

LeBlanc appeals the denial of qualified immunity arguing, inter alia, that his conduct wasn’t objectively unreasonable in light of clearly established law. … Lambert, 921 F.3d 215, 219 (5th Cir. 2019) (qualified immunity turns on whether defendant’s conduct is “objectively unreasonable in light of clearly established law”); Hinojosa v.

Thomas v. McGinnis

239 Mich. App. 636 · Michigan Court of Appeals · Apr 19, 2000

trial court granted the motion, finding that he was entitled to qualified immunity. … In an action brought under 42 USC 1983, a government official performing discretionary functions is entitled to qualified or good-faith immunity “ ‘insofar as [the official’s] conduct does not violate clearly established

McMullen v. Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District

200 F. Supp. 3d 649 · District Court, N.D. Mississippi · Jul 29, 2016

To raise qualified immunity, “[a]n officer need only plead his good faith, which then shifts the burden to the plaintiff, who must rebut the defense by establishing that the officer’s allegedly wrongful conduct violated clearly … A civil rights “plaintiff can overcome a qualified immunity defense by showing (1) that the official violated a statutory or constitutional right, and (2) that the right was ‘clearly established’ at the time of the challenged

Thomas Cannon v. Village of Bald Head Island

891 F.3d 489 · Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · May 30, 2018

“Because the first two prongs of the test are questions of law, an employer is entitled to qualified immunity if either prong cannot be resolved under clearly established law.” Crouse, 848 F.3d at 583. … In sum, under our qualified immunity analysis, at the time of the disclosures this Court’s precedent clearly established that the allegedly stigmatizing statements were made public by Peck.

Sundquist v. Nebraska

122 F. Supp. 3d 876 · District Court, D. Nebraska · Aug 10, 2015

Schuldt and Vierk contend that, in 2013, it was not clearly established that this violated Sundquist’s rights, and therefore, they argue, they are entitled to qualified immunity. … The doctrine of qualified immunity protects government officials from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person

Meyers v. Baltimore County

981 F. Supp. 2d 422 · District Court, D. Maryland · Nov 1, 2013

Further, defendants maintained that, “ ‘[i]f the court finds that Officer Mee violated the Fourth Amendment then he is still entitled to qualified immunity because such an interpretation of the law was not clearly established … “Qualified immunity extends to protect officials ‘who commit constitutional violations but who, in light of clearly established law, could reasonably believe that their actions were lawful.’ ” Williams v.

Christopher Majors v. City of West Des Moines

Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · Jun 25, 2026

McCrystal, 708 F.3d 997, 1007–08 (8th Cir. 2013) (denying officer qualified immunity after plaintiff established a Franks violation), abrogation on other grounds recognized by Laney v. City of St. … establish probable cause if the allegedly false information were ignored.

Jones v. Marcum

197 F. Supp. 2d 991 · District Court, S.D. Ohio · Mar 11, 2002

is per se violative of a “clearly established” right. … The ultimate, more particularized question in the qualified immunity context is whether Jones’ had a clearly established right under the facts as he states them. This case falls into the realm of Brandenburg .

Lucas v. The City of Reynoldsburg

District Court, S.D. Ohio · Jun 2, 2025

because they violated no clearly established right. … Thus, an official sued under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 is entitled to qualified immunity unless the plaintiff shows that the official violated a statutory or constitutional right that was “clearly established” at the time of the

Corum v. University of North Carolina

330 N.C. 761 · Supreme Court of North Carolina · Jan 31, 1992

After filing an answer containing defenses, which included sovereign immunity and qualified immunity, defendants moved for summary judgment. … This is because “[i]f the law was clearly established, the immunity defense ordinarily should fail, since a reasonably competent public official should know the law governing his conduct.”

Harris v. City of Balch Springs

9 F. Supp. 3d 690 · District Court, N.D. Texas · Mar 28, 2014

Conversely, an official’s conduct is not protected by qualified immunity if, in light of clearly established pre-existing law, it was apparent the conduct, when undertaken, would be a violation of the right at issue. … If “the pleadings on their face show an unreasonable violation of a clearly established constitutional right,” assertion of a qualified immunity defense is insufficient to sustain a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss.

Decotiis v. Whittemore

635 F.3d 22 · Court of Appeals for the First Circuit · Mar 24, 2011

Qualified Immunity The district court held that Defendant Whittemore, in her individual capacity, is entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not so clearly established as to put Whittemore on fair … A plaintiff may overcome qualified immunity by first making out the violation of a constitutional right, and second, establishing that the "right was 'clearly established' at the time of the defendant's alleged violation

Colao v. Mills

39 A.D.3d 1048 · Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York · Apr 19, 2007

Government officials performing discretionary functions are entitled to qualified immunity, thereby shielding them from civil liability, as long as their actions did not violate the plaintiffs clearly established legal rights … qualified immunity test and determine whether reasonable officers would know that the conduct here was unlawful at the time (see Cowan ex rel.