The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a Vermont state police sergeant is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit brought by a protester who said she was injured when an officer used a wristlock to remove her from a sit-in at the state capitol.
In an unsigned per curiam opinion, the court reversed the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Zorn v. Linton, holding that existing precedent did not clearly establish that Sgt. Jacob Zorn’s specific conduct violated the Constitution.
"The Second Circuit held that Zorn was not entitled to qualified immunity," read the majority ruling – with the three liberal justices dissenting – rejecting excess use of force arguments. "We reverse."
The justices said officers are generally shielded from civil liability unless prior case law put the unlawfulness of their actions "beyond debate."
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