Category Archives: Qualified immunity

WA: Brief detention on no bail FTA warrant wasn’t unreasonable where there was a PC determination within 48 hours

A no bail bench warrant for FTA wasn’t unreasonable because a probable cause determination was made within 48 hours. State v. Clare, 2024 Wash. App. LEXIS 462 (Mar. 12, 2024). Defendant’s search incident occurred before the arrest. To be lawful, … Continue reading

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C.D.Cal.: Police missing target and shooting innocent bystander is a 4A seizure, but with QI

Shooting at a suspect and hitting an innocent bystander is a Fourth Amendment seizure under Brower and Torres, but it gets qualified immunity. Larocca v. City of L.A., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45650 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 14, 2024):

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E.D.Mo.: Strip search of civilly committed patient refusing pat search was reasonable and with QI

Plaintiff was strip searched when civilly committed when she refused to permit a pat search. “Considering all the circumstances described in Plaintiff’s Complaint, the search Plaintiff underwent, though surely unpleasant, was not unreasonable. “But even if the Court concluded the … Continue reading

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E.D.Pa.: In a cell phone search, cached data was within the “electronic data or memory features” of the phone as provided by the SW

Cached data on defendant’s cell phone is included in “[a]ll documents, including in electronic form, and stored communications including … photographs, videos, and any other electronic data or other memory features contained in the devices and SIM cards[.]” The search … Continue reading

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E.D.Mich.: Jail strip search to document tattoos was reasonable

Plaintiff’s strip search in jail to photograph his tattoos was reasonable. Turn v. Leslie, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39329 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 5, 2024), adopted, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38391 ( E.D. Mich. Mar. 5, 2024). Plaintiff stated a Fourth … Continue reading

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TX5: No binding authority says there’s a REP in an inmate’s jail medical records

There is no binding authority that a jail inmate has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his jail medical records, so the court finds the exclusionary rule shouldn’t apply. Quaschnick v. State, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 1108 (Tex. App. – … Continue reading

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CA5: Facts of this alleged Rodriguez violation get QI

Plaintiff was stopped on I-40 and then he later sued complaining the stop was continued too long. On the facts he presents, it was not clearly established that the continuation of this stop was unreasonable. Weisshaus v. Teichelman, 2024 U.S. … Continue reading

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D.Idaho: What’s “full and fair opportunity” under Stone?

“Powell does not specify a particular test for determining whether a state provided a defendant with an opportunity for full and fair litigation of a Fourth Amendment claim. To aid in determination of this question, federal district courts in the … Continue reading

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S.D.Ill.: Odor of marijuana coming from a car is PC in this federal circuit even if it’s maybe not in state court anymore because of recreational use

The odor of marijuana coming from a car is probable cause in this circuit even if it’s maybe not be in state court anymore. United States v. Toney, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20838 (S.D. Ill. Feb. 6, 2024). Qualified immunity … Continue reading

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VA: Capias for detention of person not functional equivalent of arrest warrant; no PC finding

A Virginia capias for detention of a person is not the functional equivalent of an arrest warrant founded on sworn probable cause. The police view of the inside of defendant’s home that led to a search warrant is suppressed. Commonwealth … Continue reading

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CA5 (en banc): Arrest of “citizen journalist” under a statute never declared unconstitutional was with QI

“Villarreal fails to satisfy her burden on either [qualified immunity] prong. This is not a case about a ‘citizen journalist just asking questions.’ That clever but misleading phrase cannot relieve this court of our obligation to evaluate Villarreal’s conduct against … Continue reading

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N.D.Ga.: Use of cell phone cash app to facilitate PPP fraud justified SW for phone

Use of a cell phone cash app to facilitate spending PPP loan fraud justified warrant for phone. United States v. Foster, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11369 (N.D. Ga. Jan. 22, 2024). Codefendant’s case: United States v. Baptiste, 2024 U.S. Dist. … Continue reading

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TX1: Arrest on PC when standing next to vehicle justified its search incident

Defendant’s arrest for a parole violation while he was standing next to his vehicle resulted in a search of the person finding drugs, and that justified a search incident of the vehicle, too. Badyrka v. State, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS … Continue reading

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DC parolee’s GPS monitor can only be placed by court order

Defendant’s GPS monitoring while on D.C. parole was unauthorized without an order from the sentencing court. It also doesn’t fit under Knights and Samson and special needs. Therefore, its use here to connect defendant to a crime is suppressed. Davis … Continue reading

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GA: A court order for medical records by statute requires PC

There is a statutory privacy interest in one’s medical records, and an “appropriate court order” is required for the government to access them in a criminal case. An ex parte order not shown to be based on probable cause is … Continue reading

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MI: Biting and kicking were reasonable responses to an unlawful arrest that can be resisted at common law

Defendant was unlawfully arrested for failing to produce an ID. While Michigan retains the common law right to resist an unlawful arrest, defendant’s biting and kicking was found reasonable. People v. Murawski, 2023 Mich. App. LEXIS 9151 (Oct. 26, 2023) … Continue reading

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CA6: Def’s getting CI’s call and driving to controlled buy and home was nexus for SW

Defendant’s being in his home when he received a call from the CI for a controlled buy and then his driving to the buy and back was sufficient nexus. United States v. Badley, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 33031 (6th Cir. … Continue reading

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CA8: Minor child could consent to search and seizure of camera hidden in her bathroom

This court rejects the notion that a minor never has the apparent authority to consent to a search, here of a camera in the house. The minor was defendant’s 14-year-old daughter, and defendant and the mother had visitation. She found … Continue reading

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CA2: Pending 2255 petition justifies denial of Rule 41(g) petition

The business’s petition for return of records obtained by search warrant and grand jury subpoena is denied. The business’s principal is still litigating his criminal case and a 2255 is pending, and that justifies it. Allen v. Grist Mill Capital … Continue reading

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W.D.Wis.: No habeas relief for unlawful arrest

That 2254 petitioner’s state arrest was unreasonable doesn’t state grounds for relief from a conviction. Haring v. Prosise, 462 U.S. 306, 321 (1983). Ramirez v. Meisner, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 218142 (W.D. Wis. Dec. 6, 2023). Defendant had no standing … Continue reading

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