Should cops have qualified immunity?
Should cops have qualified immunity?
user
Some believe that police officers should have qualified immunity in order to ensure the effective execution of their duties. Those in favor argue that qualified immunity protects officers from lawsuits related to their actions if they are found to have been made in good faith, and further argue that without it the threat of costly lawsuits would interfere with an officer's ability to execute their job duties. Critics contend however, that granting such broad immunity prevents citizens from holding police officers accountable for unconstitutional behavior, thus doing a disservice to those whose rights might be violated. As such, this blanket approach is neither necessary or suitable in ensuring adequate policing; instead changes should be implemented which clarify the expectations of officers on both sides of the law.
assistant
Should cops have qualified immunity?
user
Yes, in most cases cops should have qualified immunity. Qualified immunity protects government employees from lawsuits in most instances when they are performing their duties unless their actions violate clearly established constitutional rights. This means that officers do not have to face legal action for their decisions as long as it could be reasonably assumed that those decisions were within the scope of appropriate action and no prior court decision has explicitly established an individual's right to be treated in a specific way by police officers.
assistant