Tag: Qualified Immunity
-
Lawsuit from men wrongly arrested for Denver shooting dismissed by federal appeals court
The Colorado-based federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit last week from two men who were arrested as suspects in a downtown Denver shooting when they instead appeared to be the targets. Trevor Puller and Deandre Hutchinson alleged that they were driving in Lower Downtown at around 2 a.m. in April 2021 when an unidentified man…
-
10th Circuit upholds verdict against Denver, officer for protest-related violations
The Colorado-based federal appeals court on Tuesday turned aside multiple challenges to a 2022 jury verdict that found Denver and one of its officers violated the constitutional rights of protesters and were liable for $14 million. In the first of many lawsuits culminating in a jury trial, 12 plaintiffs largely succeeded in arguing that Denver’s…
-
Federal judge green-lights excessive force trial against Fort Collins officers
A federal judge concluded last week that a jury will need to resolve whether two Fort Collins police officers violated a man’s constitutional rights by using excessive force after he refused to accept a citation. In a Jan. 21 order, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney analyzed the severity of plaintiff Andru Kulas’ alleged…
-
10th Circuit hears Denver, officer’s request to overturn $14M jury verdict after 2020 protests
Members of the Colorado-based federal appeals court considered on Wednesday whether a judge committed errors in the 2022 civil trial where jurors found Denver liable for $14 million for violating the constitutional rights of protesters. In the first lawsuit of many to culminate in a jury trial, 12 plaintiffs largely succeeded in arguing Denver’s own…
-
‘Common sense’: 10th Circuit rules Loveland officer will face civil trial for shooting puppy in head
The court ruled for the first time that police cannot shoot pets if there is no imminent danger
-
10th Circuit says Lakewood sergeant has immunity for fatally shooting man in burning basement
—
by
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The Denver-based federal appeals court agreed on Thursday that a Lakewood police sergeant did not violate a man’s constitutional rights by shooting and killing him while trying to evacuate him from a burning basement. Jason Waterhouse was behaving erratically when he barricaded himself in the…
-
10th Circuit ponders immunity for Loveland officer who shot puppy in head
—
by
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Members of the Denver-based federal appeals court heard arguments on Wednesday about whether a Loveland police officer violated a couple’s constitutional rights by shooting their puppy in the head and torso. In November 2023, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Raymond P. Moore declined to grant…
-
Denver District Attorney candidates spar over qualified immunity, prosecuting “low-level” crimes ahead of June primary
—
by
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The two-pony race to become Denver’s next district attorney is heating up and the two remaining candidates, John Walsh and Leora Joseph, took to the stage during a debate Tuesday night. The coming June primary will determine the sole name on the November ballot for…
-
Federal judge grants immunity to Lakewood sergeant for deadly shooting
Magistrate Judge Kathryn Starnella believed a ‘reasonable officer caught in a split-second decision-making situation’ would have used lethal force
-
10th Circuit upholds immunity for Lafayette officers who used dog to bite unarmed man
—
by
Lafayette police officers who deployed a dog to bite an unarmed, allegedly unconscious man for 15-20 seconds cannot be held liable for excessive force, the federal appeals court based in Denver ruled last week. Adrian Martinez was lying in the fetal position in a locked storage closet when police broke the door and immediately told…