Federal Court: Cops Accused Of Stealing Over $225,000 Have Legal Immunity

We recommend this article about a very concerning decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: Federal Court: Cops Accused Of Stealing Over $225,000 Have Legal Immunity. During a 2013 raid, police officers stole over $225,000. They reported a significantly smaller amount on the inventory report. The court ruled that the officers are protected by a defense called qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is complicated, but its essential concept is that a police officer is not liable for violating anyone’s rights, unless they violate a right that is “clearly established” and obvious to any reasonable officer. The article says, “Incredibly, even though the judges conceded that ‘virtually every human society teaches that theft generally is morally wrong,’ the Ninth Circuit flatly denied it was ‘obvious’ the officers were in the wrong legally.” Several civil liberties organizations are urging the court to revisit the case.