Legislators from all over the country have changed the landscape of policing. United States senators have been working on police reform for quite some time and have come to an important conclusion.
Getting rid of "qualified immunity" seems to have been taken off of the table.
Protecting Officers
According to Politico, they seem not to be talking about the highly controversial provision anymore. Then, qualified immunity prevented people from taking civil legal actions against officers.
However, if an officer really did violate someone's rights, qualified immunity is off the table. This is because the provision exists only to protect officers from civil suits, and the U.S. Supreme Court actually created the provision.
The rule gives officers the latitude to arrest people and make reasonable use of force decisions without fear of the people they are arresting bringing charges against them personally.
However, the arrestees are more than welcome to sue the department. Republicans have been in favor of keeping qualified immunity for officers. Democrats, on the other hand, want it to be gone.
In fact, according to Politico, they will "settle for nothing less than the total elimination of the doctrine."
George Floyd Bill
George Floyd's namesake bill made it through the Senate with the elimination of qualified immunity. However, it is considered a dead bill since it can not get the appropriate amount of filibuster votes.
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a Democrat from South Caroline, feels like they should not completely get rid of the provision for the sake of progress. However, other progressive Democrats feel that compromise is a no-go.
U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Cory Booker are working with Karen Bass to find a compromise. They have yet to meet one of their own deadlines, but they keep chipping away at it in the name of progress.
Even a visit from Floyd's family did not bring them any closer to a resolution. As Democrats left for summer recess, none of them would speak openly about what is staying and what may be going.
Shifting liability to departments was discussed, though the idea was ultimately shut down. Both Scott and Booker have promised to work it out until a compromise is found.
George Floyd bill you got to be kidding. named after a Bum. America is sick. If you obey the laws you have nothing to worry about.
You are 100% correct! George Floyd Bill, indeed! It’s a disgrace!
Or do we go Vigilante force then later OK?
Maybe that's the answer. But keep in mind that to take the VIGILANTLY PATH can resemble what the DEMORATS are doing. Not the LABEL I want to see any GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT needs to carry
Justice? Please, just follow the officer's instructions and everything goes smoothly. Disobey and you get what you deserve. If you are a criminal (or just do anything illegal) just be prepared to pay the price if you are caught. If you have a weapon in sight and get shot by police, it's your own fault. No, Floyd should not have been killed - and it seems there still is a question if it was because of the officer or because he was higher than a kite. Still, let's not make a career criminal into a hero because he died. The family got so much more money than his life was ever going to be worth and that should have ended it.
His family should not have gotten a dime. Floyd committed suicide when he took those drugs as it was much more than a lethal dose. He killed himself and the Officers could have done nothing to stop him from dying. Floyd was a terrible person who was a lifelong criminal and the crime rate in his area dropped some after he died.
The police need to be protected and honored. They truly are the thin blue line between a civil society and chaos. Obviously, situations will arise where a police office does something wrong and they can be appropriately punished when this happens. However, at this time, the most significant danger to black people are other black people, not the police officers.
Qualified immunity should be removed.
The officers protection from civil liability is
ultimately on the officers conduct during the interaction. Justified amount of force. Lawful arrest. So on and so forth..
With the assurance of Qualified immunity gives some the idea of being able to act with impudence.
As your first comment states obey the law and you have nothing to worry about.
That would also apply to the officer, obey the protocol, the law and the officer has nothing to worry about.
In the litigious society we live in today it will be impossible for police officers too function at all on a daily, street level without Qualified Immunity. It's obvious from your statement you either in law enforcement, or you don't work the street where even the most innocent and harmless mistake is grounds for punishment, prosecution and persecution in the name of "social justice".
I admit there's bad Police. But the GOOD POLICE far out weighs the bad . After all there's BAD POLITICIANS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT THAT. This isn't a TIT FOR TAT ISSUE. These above mentioned BAD POLITICIANS are the top LAW MAKERS. THEY ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TODAY. I suggest we start there when it comes to CLEANING HOUSE
99.9% of LEOs are honest, caring, and hard working men and women who want nothing more than to make their community safe for everyone.
It's criminal that a drugged up felon has become an idol who cost businesses, cities, & this entire country unimaginable loss of lives, property damage from fires, looting & every type of destruction possible. His behavior & death sure didn't qualify him for 'hero' status & all the destruction thruout the U.S.
Never in my life have I ever seen the twist the newsies are giving a two time loser, being arrested for passing funny money, really high on a drug mix that was stopping his breathing. George Floyd wasn’t killed by any officer. He killed himself with a wonderful mix of illegal drugs and was looking to go to prison yet again as a three time loser!
No one forced him to get drugged up. He was yelling that he couldn’t breathe before the police even showed up.
Big miscarriage of justice on the part of the arresting officer.
The woman in this video is a terrible racist!
True patriots need to rise up look around Rome is burning
You will not get many people to become or re3main as Police Officers unless they are protected from frivolous lawsuits. They will spend all their time and more money than they have just trying to pay attorney fees.