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Fifth Circuit: Texas Police Get Qualified Immunity for Knowingly Using Taser to Ignite Gasoline-Soaked, Suicidal Man, Killing Him and Destroying Family’s House
by Matt Clarke
On June 25, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit refused to re-visit its decision that Texas police officers who used a Taser on a suicidal man who had drenched himself in gasoline knowing it could ignite him were entitled to qualified immunity. Ramirez ...
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More from this issue:
- How Cops Use Copyright Laws to Prevent the Public from Recording Their Bad Acts, by Dale Chappell
- “If Everybody’s White, There Can’t Be Any Racial Bias”: The Disappearance of Hispanic Drivers From Traffic Records, by Richard Webster
- Brooklyn DA Releases List of Untrustworthy Cops, by Anthony Accurso
- You’d Better Watch Out: The Surveillance State Has a Naughty List, and You’re On It, by Nisha Whitehead, John W. Whitehead
- Sixth Circuit: Only One Conviction May Result Under § 922(g) for Single Incident of Firearm Possession, by Douglas Ankney
- Montana Supreme Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel for Failing to Object to Incorrect Jury Instruction That Lowered State’s Burden of Proof, by Douglas Ankney
- The AEDPA: A Forgotten Catalyst in Mass Incarceration, by Dale Chappell
- New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Arrestees in Police Custody Have Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Calls Made on Police Station Phone Absent Notice That Call Is Being Monitored or Recorded, by Douglas Ankney
- Crime Rates Rise and Fall. The Police Mostly Have Nothing to Do With It., by Aya Gruber
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Framework for Determining Whether State of Mind Exception to Hearsay Rule Applies to Out-of-Court Statements, Dual-Purpose Statements Generally Inadmissible, by Matthew Clarke
- Fourth Circuit: Long-Term Aerial Surveillance That Reveals ‘Whole of Individuals’ Movements’ Constitutes Search Without a Warrant, Violates Fourth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
- Rethinking the ‘Sex Offender’ Label, by Derek Logue
- North Carolina Supreme Court Announces Pretrial Notice of Duress Defense Does Not Forfeit Fifth Amendment Right to Silence, Reaffirms Rule Against Preemptive Impeachment, by Anthony Accurso
- California Court of Appeal: Police Created Atmosphere of Custodial Interrogation Requiring Miranda Warnings Even Though Prearrest Interview Occurred in Teen Suspect’s Home, by Douglas Ankney
- California Court of Appeal: Superior Courts Must Consider Only Elements of Prior Adjudicated Felony, Not Juvenile’s Conduct for § 1170(d)(2)(B) Purposes, by Douglas Ankney
- Third Circuit Announces Mere Physical Proximity of Guns and Drugs Insufficient for Automatic Application of U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) Enhancement Under Commentary Note 14(B), Creates Rebuttable Presumption, by Douglas Ankney
- California Supreme Court Announces Mandatory Supervision Conditions Un-der Realignment Act Evaluated for Reasonableness on Case-by-Case Basis Under Lent Test, by Anthony Accurso
- Montana Supreme Court: Defendant’s Due Process Rights Violated by Delayed Initial Appearance for Two Years While Jailed in New York on Out-of-State Warrant, by David Reutter
- U.S. Sentencing Commission Creates New Sentencing Tool for Judges, by Dale Chappell
- California Supreme Court Announces Not All Subsequent Habeas Petitions Under Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act Are ‘Successive’, by Dale Chappell
- Who Defends the Public Defenders?, by Jayson Hawkins
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Impacted Third Party Has Right to Appeal Motion Granting Postconviction DNA Testing, by Matthew Clarke
- The Long-Term Effects of 9/11: Naturally, More Surveillance, by Jayson Hawkins
- Ninth Circuit: California Law Prohibiting Recovery of Loss of Life Damages Inconsistent With § 1983, by Douglas Ankney
- Second Circuit Declares Police Firearms Examiners Subject to Brady, Examiner Who Failed to Disclose Exculpatory Ballistics Report Not Entitled to Qualified Immunity, by Douglas Ankney
- Ninth Circuit: Washington’s Sentencing Guidelines, Not Statutory Maximum, Set Upper Limit for Sentence When Determining Grade of Violation of Supervised Release Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, by Douglas Ankney
- Nevada Supreme Court Reverses Denial of Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea Because Defendant Had Strong Argument for Speedy Trial Violation and Colorable Claim of IAC, by Douglas Ankney
- Iowa Supreme Court Calls SCOTUS’ Fourth Amendment Jurisprudence ‘a Mess,’ Announces Departure from Lockstep Adherence, and Rules Warrantless Seizure and Search of Defendant’s Curbside Trash Unlawful, by Anthony Accurso
- Missouri Supreme Court: Evidence Found in Cell Phone Seized at Sheriff’s Office Instead of Defendant’s Home, Identified as Location to Be Searched in Warrant, Must Be Suppressed, by Anthony Accurso
- First Circuit: ‘Controlled Substances Offense’ Under § 2K2.1(a)(2) of USSG Refers to Time of Sentencing, Not Time of Prior Conviction, by Anthony Accurso
- Unchecked Federal Use of Facial Recognition Tech, by Anthony Accurso
- Is Orange County’s DNA Collection Scheme Really Voluntary?, by Jayson Hawkins
- Study: Petty Court Fines and Fees Creates ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Debt for Years, by Dale Chappell
- Hawai’i Supreme Court: Prosecutor’s Cumulative Misconduct Deprived Defendant of a Fair Trial, Vacates Denial of Motion for New Trial, by Douglas Ankney
- Cop Gets Money for Nothing, Awards for Free, by Edward Lyon
- Veterans Restorative Justice Act Offers More Than Alternatives to Jail in Minnesota, by Douglas Ankney
- Microbiome: The Latest in Cutting Edge Forensics, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Secret CBP Teams New DHS Weapon of Mass Surveillance, by Jayson Hawkins
- Biden’s DOJ Targets Police Misconduct, by Dale Chappell
- Fifth Circuit: Texas Police Get Qualified Immunity for Knowingly Using Taser to Ignite Gasoline-Soaked, Suicidal Man, Killing Him and Destroying Family’s House, by Matthew Clarke
- Big Brother’s Eyes and Ears: Understanding and mitigating the impact of high-tech surveillance, by Anthony Accurso
- Marijuana Arrests Keep Dropping
- News in Brief
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Texas Social Workers Challenge Blanket Denial of State Occupational License Based on Youthful Assault Convictions, Aug. 1, 2025
- After Judge’s Letter, at Least 22 Former FCI Dublin Prisoners Granted Compassionate Release, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Award of Time Served Credit for Non-Citizen Awaiting Extradition, Aug. 1, 2025
- Former Oregon Prison Guard Sergeant Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Imprisoned Women, Aug. 1, 2025
- Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Procedure for Crediting Jail Time to Multiple Contemporaneously-Imposed Sentences, Aug. 1, 2025
- Over One-Third of Older Texas Prisoners Suffering Cognitive Impairment, July 15, 2025
- Kansas Supreme Court Revives Prisoner’s Challenge to Loss of Parental Rights, June 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Baha’i Texas Prisoner’s Dietary Claim, June 1, 2025
- $5.6 Million Settlement for California Prisoner’s Wife Strip-searched During Visit, June 1, 2025
- Academic Study of Prison Guards’ Use of Excessive Force Details Sad State of Civil Rights for Abused Prisoners, June 1, 2025
More from these topics:
- CDCR Held in Contempt, Fined $112 Million in Longstanding Litigation Over Mental Health Care, Aug. 1, 2025. Staffing, Mental Health, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- SCOTUS Clamps Down on Bivens Extension to Prisoner Beaten by BOP Guards at Virginia Lockup, Aug. 1, 2025. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified, Bivens Actions.
- $550,000 Settlement After Juvenile’s Suicide at Charlotte Jail, July 15, 2025. Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Failure to Protect (Juveniles).
- Watchdogs Fault Nebraska Prisons for Suicide Response, Overpaid Staff, June 1, 2025. Suicides, Guards/Staff, Staff Training.
- Ninth Circuit Revives Complaint Over Sloppy Cell Checks Before Psychotic Detainee’s Death at L.A. Jail, June 1, 2025. Failure to Protect (General), Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- Fifth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Louisiana Officials Who Forced Prisoner to Work with Broken Surgical Screws in Ankle, May 1, 2025. Prison Labor, Qualified Immunity, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified, Deliberate Indifference, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- Self-Harming Wisconsin Prisoner Settles Failure-to-Protect Suit for $7,000, April 1, 2025. Settlements, Suicides, Failure to Protect (Staff).
- Federal Watchdog Calls Out BOP for Spiking Suicide Risk at Pennsylvania Lockup, April 1, 2025. Suicides, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
- Eighth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity to Arkansas Jailers Who Ignored Detainee’s Spider Bite, March 1, 2025. Failure to Treat, Qualified Immunity, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified.
- Monterey County Pays $1 Million to Settle Suit Over Detainee Suicide by Toilet Tissue; Wellpath Pays Another Undisclosed Sum, Feb. 15, 2025. Private Contractors, Settlements, Suicides.