I just want to add this to your excerpt from the Atlantic article:
Qualified immunity was supposed to protect "all but the most incompetent" from civil action. But it has been interpreted so broadly that it has become protection for the most incompetent.
The proposal by Karen Bass of California in the House would severely limit qualified immunity. It's certain to be opposed by police unions nationwide. (But a lot of Americans, even those who support police in general, may feel the current status quo is untenable.)
If the House and Senate fail to pass legislation, it's quite possible the Supreme Court could overturn qualified immunity, given the criticism of QI by legal experts on the left and right.
I'm also interested in their idea for a possible national database for bad cops, so multiple offenders wouldn't be transferred from one municipality to another, like a pedophile priest. Who would maintain this database? Could we depend on the police to maintain accurate information, or would an independent watchdog group have to do it?
(Speaking of pedophile priests: since my son's an altar boy, I need to ask--is there a database on those guys yet?)
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2020-06-07 02:37 am (UTC)Qualified immunity was supposed to protect "all but the most incompetent" from civil action. But it has been interpreted so broadly that it has become protection for the most incompetent.
The proposal by Karen Bass of California in the House would severely limit qualified immunity. It's certain to be opposed by police unions nationwide. (But a lot of Americans, even those who support police in general, may feel the current status quo is untenable.)
If the House and Senate fail to pass legislation, it's quite possible the Supreme Court could overturn qualified immunity, given the criticism of QI by legal experts on the left and right.
I'm also interested in their idea for a possible national database for bad cops, so multiple offenders wouldn't be transferred from one municipality to another, like a pedophile priest. Who would maintain this database? Could we depend on the police to maintain accurate information, or would an independent watchdog group have to do it?
(Speaking of pedophile priests: since my son's an altar boy, I need to ask--is there a database on those guys yet?)
There is a push for change on all levels....