The Fourth Amendment restricts when a police officer may stop a person. Generally, an officer must have probable cause to believe that the person has committed a crime in order to stop them. When police officers conduct a traffic stop, there is no question that they...
civil rights
No Qualified Immunity for Officers Who Use Taser Multiple Times on Restrained Suspect
The legal doctrine of qualified immunity protects government officials who apply force reasonably or apply force in situations where the law is unclear. The purpose of qualified immunity is to prevent government officials from being discouraged carrying out their...
Employers Can Discriminate Against Employees for Having Dreadlocks Says the Eleventh Circuit
Last week, in a panel decision, EEOC v. Catastrophe Management Solutions, the Eleventh Circuit held that employers can discriminate against employees for wearing their hair in dreadlocks. The lawsuit was brought by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission on behalf...
Where Violence and Terror Reign: How Prison Guards Can Be Held Liable for Inmate-on-Inmate Violence
Many people accept violence between prisoners as an every-day facet of life for incarcerated individuals. Some even argue that such violence should be tolerated as part of the punishment for committing a crime. While these issues often remain unaddressed by...
Lawsuit Over Kenny Leigh’s Sham Write-in Candidacy Remains Pending in Florida Supreme Court After Melissa Nelson Defeats Angela Corey in State Attorney Primary
We have received several inquiries about the status of the lawsuit we brought with prominent local civil rights attorney Sam Jacobson, Scott v. Hogan, over the disenfranchisement of almost 440,000 registered non-republican voters in the local state attorney race. As...
Northern District of Florida Holds Title VII Prohibits Sexual Orientation Discrimination
In a recent groundbreaking opinion written by Judge Mark Walker, Winstead v. Lafayette Board of County Commissioners, the Northern District held that Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of an employee's sexual orientation or their perceived...
Leonard Weinglass in Defense of Civil Liberties Award
The AAJ Civil Rights Section presents the Leonard Weinglass in Defense of Civil Liberties Award, annually, to honor an attorney or a civil rights advocate who has made a noteworthy contribution to the defense of our civil rights and civil liberties bringing, trying,...
Not Quite Home: Florida Court Upholds Ban on Guns in College Dorms
In the latest battle over gun control in Florida, the Florida First District Court of Appeal recently rejected a challenge against the University of Florida's regulations on firearms. The case, Florida Carry, Inc. v. University of Florida, held that the University of...
Oral Arguments Held in Same-Sex Marriage Case
Yesterday, the Supreme Court held oral arguments on the issue of same-sex marriage. The arguments revealed a few surprises. We are pleased that Justice Roberts pointed out that the marriage ban might be sex discrimination. Chief Justice Roberts stated that, "I mean,...
Racial Progress in the United States
March is the anniversary month for the famous protest along Alabama's Edmund Pettus Bridge led by Martin Luther King Jr. in his mission to achieve fair voting rights. Fifty years later, the fight for equality for African-Americans is not over. The Huffington Post put...