Six months after St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ administration promised to reconsider its defense of legal doctrines that protect abusive police, it is continuing to defend them, prompting charges of “betrayal” from civil rights lawyers. In campaigning for office, Jones spoke frequently about the need for greater police accountability, citing the deaths of George Floyd in … [Read more...] about City of St. Louis ‘betrays’ its pledge to alter legal positions protecting abusive police, critics say
police brutality
Qualified immunity: A get out of court free card for abusive police
Police officers almost always avoid legal liability for abusing citizens because of the doctrine of qualified immunity. The doctrine has its roots in ugly chapters of American history — from enforcement of racial segregation at a lunch counter in Mississippi; to the National Guard killings of students at Kent State; to President Nixon’s firing of a whistleblower; to Attorney … [Read more...] about Qualified immunity: A get out of court free card for abusive police