Justia Civil Rights Opinion Summaries

Lakewood police agents followed Tien Dinh Pham after observing his vehicle leave a house in a high-crime area. They initiated a traffic stop for a lane change violation. Pham pulled into a parking lot, and the agents ordered him out of the vehicle. After a brief pat down, Pham was directed away from the car, leaving the door open. Agent Kyle Winters then deployed a drug-detection dog, which entered the vehicle and alerted to the presence of drugs. The agents searched the vehicle and found drugs, paraphernalia, and weapons. Pham was charged with multiple offenses, including possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.The Jefferson County District Court held a suppression hearing and ruled that the search was unconstitutional. The court found that the officers had no reason to remove Pham from his vehicle and acted improperly by leaving the door open, facilitating the dog's entry into the car. The court suppressed the evidence obtained from the search.The Supreme Court of Colorado reviewed the case. It concluded that the trial court erred in finding that removing Pham from his vehicle was improper, as officers may order a driver out of a vehicle during a lawful traffic stop for safety reasons. However, the court agreed that the dog's entry into the vehicle constituted a search under the Fourth Amendment. Since the search was conducted without probable cause, it was deemed unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Colorado affirmed the trial court's suppression order and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "People v. Pham" on Justia Law

In this case, the defendant was on trial for murder. During jury deliberations, an argument between two jurors led to allegations of racial bias. The judge conducted a limited inquiry into the matter but did not fully investigate the allegations. The defendant was convicted of murder in the second degree, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a loaded firearm.The case was initially tried in the Superior Court Department, where the defendant was found guilty. The defendant appealed, and the Appeals Court affirmed the conviction. The Supreme Judicial Court then granted further appellate review.The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts reviewed the case and found that the trial judge's limited inquiry into the allegations of racial bias was insufficient. The court held that the judge should have conducted a more thorough investigation to determine whether the alleged racial bias affected the jury's impartiality. The court emphasized the importance of ensuring a fair and impartial trial, free from racial bias.As a result, the Supreme Judicial Court vacated the defendant's convictions and remanded the case for a new trial. The court's main holding was that the trial judge's failure to adequately investigate the allegations of racial bias created a substantial risk of a miscarriage of justice, warranting a new trial. View "Commonwealth v. Vasquez" on Justia Law

Ignacia Carmona, representing herself and the estate of Veronica Carmona, filed a lawsuit against the City of Brownsville and several officers, claiming that the officers failed to provide necessary medical care to Veronica Carmona, who died while in pretrial detention. Veronica had been involved in multiple car accidents on the same night and exhibited visible injuries. Despite this, the officers did not seek medical attention for her, and she was later found dead in her cell due to internal bleeding from liver lacerations.The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas dismissed the claims against the officers, granting them qualified immunity. The court concluded that the complaint did not plausibly allege that the officers had subjective knowledge of a substantial risk of serious harm to Veronica Carmona. The court found that the officers' failure to seek medical care did not amount to deliberate indifference because the injuries were not visibly apparent, and there were no complaints from Carmona that revealed the full extent of her injuries.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reviewed the case and affirmed the district court's decision. The appellate court held that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege that the officers were subjectively aware of the risk of internal bleeding. The court emphasized that actual knowledge of the risk is required for liability, and mere negligence or the fact that the officers should have known about the risk is insufficient. As a result, the officers were entitled to qualified immunity, and the dismissal of the deliberate-indifference claims was upheld. View "Carmona v. Olvera" on Justia Law

In February 2018, two men invaded a home in Rockford, Illinois, resulting in the death of Julian Young, Jr. and the escape of Jasmine Meneweather. Meneweather initially provided general descriptions of the assailants but no specific identities. Later, she sent a photo of one perpetrator to Detective Eric Harris, but the person was not identified. Over a year later, Harris received another photo from Young’s aunt, identifying the assailants as brothers Cortez and Shawnqiz Lee. Meneweather later identified Shawnqiz Lee in a photo array. Despite Lee’s alibi of being at work during the crime, he was arrested in November 2019 based on a criminal complaint and a judge-issued arrest warrant. A grand jury indicted Lee, but subsequent DNA evidence did not match him. Lee was released in December 2020 after the charges were dismissed.The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted summary judgment to the police officers, reasoning that probable cause existed based on Meneweather’s identification, which is an absolute defense to Lee’s claims. Lee appealed, arguing that the officers lacked probable cause and that they recklessly withheld material facts.The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reviewed the case de novo and affirmed the district court’s decision. The court held that probable cause existed based on Meneweather’s identification, which was sufficient to support the arrest warrant. The court also found that the officers did not recklessly withhold material facts that would have negated probable cause. Additionally, the grand jury indictment provided prima facie evidence of probable cause, which Lee failed to rebut. Consequently, the court affirmed the summary judgment in favor of the police officers, concluding that probable cause was an absolute defense to Lee’s Fourth Amendment and state-law claims. View "Lee v Harris" on Justia Law

Megan Miller was arrested and booked into the City of Troy’s pretrial detention facility, where she informed staff that she had been heavily using heroin and expected to go into withdrawal. Over the next two and a half days, Miller vomited continually. On the third day, she was found unconscious and unresponsive in her cell and was pronounced dead shortly after. Despite her continual vomiting, no jail official sought medical care for her, including Julie Green-Hernandez, who was responsible for monitoring detainees on the day of Miller’s death. Miller’s husband sued Green-Hernandez, claiming she violated Miller’s Fourteenth Amendment right to adequate pretrial medical care and acted with gross negligence under Michigan state law.The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan denied Green-Hernandez’s motion for summary judgment, concluding she was not entitled to qualified immunity on the Fourteenth Amendment claim or state law immunity on the negligence claim. The court found that there were disputes of material fact regarding whether Green-Hernandez was deliberately indifferent to Miller’s serious medical needs and whether her conduct amounted to gross negligence.The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reviewed the case. The court dismissed Green-Hernandez’s appeal regarding qualified immunity due to lack of jurisdiction, as her arguments were based on factual disputes rather than purely legal questions. However, the court reversed the district court’s denial of Michigan governmental immunity. The Sixth Circuit held that while Green-Hernandez’s conduct could be considered grossly negligent, it was not the single most proximate cause of Miller’s death. The court concluded that Miller’s ingestion of fentanyl was the most immediate, efficient, and direct cause of her death, entitling Green-Hernandez to state law immunity. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. View "Gillman v. City of Troy" on Justia Law

Curtis Wells parked his car near Arlington Cemetery and was noticed by Officer Armstrong due to his animated gestures while on a phone call. Armstrong approached Wells and discovered that his car had an expired registration. Arlington County police were called, and they found that Wells did not have a driver's license and had weapons in his car. The police decided to tow Wells's car and conducted an inventory search, which revealed various weapons and tactical gear, including a ballistic plate carrier. Wells was sent home, but further investigation suggested that the plate might have been stolen from the Army. Nine days later, Wells was arrested for receiving stolen property.In the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Wells brought state and federal claims against various officers and entities, alleging Fourth and Fifth Amendment violations, among other claims. The district court dismissed all his claims, reasoning that the officers were protected by qualified immunity and that Wells had not plausibly alleged the necessary elements for his state tort claims.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reviewed the case and affirmed the district court's dismissal. The court held that the officers' actions were protected by qualified immunity because Wells did not have a clearly established right against the officers' conduct. The court found that the initial approach by Officer Armstrong was justified under the community-caretaking exception, the inventory search of Wells's car was conducted according to standard procedures, and Wells had consented to the safekeeping of his property. Additionally, the court held that Wells's Second Amendment claims failed because the right to public carry was not clearly established in 2020. The court also dismissed Wells's state law claims, finding that he had not plausibly alleged the necessary elements for false imprisonment or malicious prosecution. View "Wells v. Fuentes" on Justia Law

In September 2018, police officers in Fayetteville, North Carolina, observed a car performing a U-turn and stopping in front of Allen Wendell McNeil's house. After a brief interaction with the car's occupants, the police conducted a traffic stop and found a small bag of marijuana on the passenger. Without a warrant, the officers then went to McNeil's house for a "knock and talk." When McNeil's children answered the door and said he was not home, the officers proceeded to the backyard, where they found McNeil in a shed and detected the smell of marijuana. This led to McNeil's detention and the subsequent search and seizure of marijuana, money, and guns from his property.McNeil was charged with marijuana distribution and firearm possession. He pleaded guilty without a plea agreement, and the district court sentenced him to 114 months in prison. McNeil's direct appeal was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.McNeil filed a pro se petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to file a motion to suppress evidence obtained from the warrantless search and for not pursuing a plea agreement despite his requests. The district court dismissed the petition without an evidentiary hearing, ruling that McNeil's Fourth Amendment claim was frivolous and that his statements during the Rule 11 hearing precluded his ineffective assistance claim regarding the plea agreement.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reviewed the case and concluded that McNeil's ineffective assistance claims could not be resolved on the existing record. The court held that the district court erred in dismissing McNeil's claims without an evidentiary hearing, as the facts surrounding the police officers' entry into the backyard and the plea negotiations required further factual development. The Fourth Circuit vacated the district court's judgment and remanded the case for an evidentiary hearing. View "United States v. McNeil" on Justia Law

In 2012, three people were shot and killed outside a nightclub in Houston, Texas. Feanyichi E. Uvukansi was identified by an eyewitness, Jeresano, who picked him out of a photo array. Uvukansi was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. At trial, Jeresano testified that he had no agreement with prosecutors regarding his testimony, but it was later revealed that he did have an agreement that could reduce his federal drug sentence in exchange for his testimony.Uvukansi did not raise the issue of false testimony on direct appeal but did so in state habeas proceedings. The state district court found that Jeresano's testimony was false but deemed it immaterial because the jury was aware of parts of the agreement through other testimony. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Uvukansi’s application without a written order. Uvukansi then filed a Section 2254 application in federal district court, which was dismissed on the grounds that the state court's decision was not contrary to, or an unreasonable application of, clearly established Supreme Court precedent.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reviewed the case. The court held that the state district court applied the correct "reasonable likelihood" standard for materiality and did not impose a higher burden of proof on Uvukansi. The court also found that the state district court did not err in considering the false testimony's impact on Jeresano's credibility rather than the identification itself. The Fifth Circuit concluded that the state court's decision was not contrary to, or an unreasonable application of, clearly established Supreme Court precedent and affirmed the dismissal of Uvukansi's Section 2254 application. View "Uvukansi v. Guerrero" on Justia Law

Jorge Rivera-Guadalupe was living in a rooming house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when he was mugged and robbed. His friend, Christopher Valkosak, came to stay with him for protection. The next evening, Valkosak was shot by a stranger in the hallway outside Rivera-Guadalupe’s room. Detective Jacob Pierce investigated the incident, interviewed a neighbor who described the shooter as a tall Black male, and obtained a search warrant for Rivera-Guadalupe’s room. The search yielded marijuana, a knife, and IDs but no gun. Rivera-Guadalupe was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including attempted homicide and possession of marijuana. He was acquitted of all charges after being incarcerated for over eighteen months.The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania dismissed claims against other defendants but allowed the malicious prosecution claim against Det. Pierce to proceed. Det. Pierce sought dismissal based on qualified immunity, arguing that probable cause for some charges precluded a malicious prosecution claim. The District Court, referencing Johnson v. Knorr, held that probable cause for one charge does not insulate officers from liability for malicious prosecution on other charges lacking probable cause. Det. Pierce’s motion for judgment on the pleadings was denied, and he appealed.The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reviewed the case. The court concluded that the right to be prosecuted only on charges supported by probable cause was not clearly established at the time of Rivera-Guadalupe’s prosecution due to conflicting precedents within the circuit and among other circuits. The court reversed the District Court’s denial of qualified immunity for Det. Pierce and remanded the case with instructions to dismiss on that basis. The court clarified that the any-crime rule applies to false arrest claims but not to malicious prosecution claims. View "Rivera-Guadalupe v. Pierce" on Justia Law

Johnnie Franklin Wills, a state prisoner, filed a habeas petition challenging his life sentence under West Virginia’s recidivist statute. He argued that the judicially crafted test for determining whether a recidivist life sentence is proportional to the crime is unconstitutionally vague. Wills was convicted of grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny in 2016, and due to his prior eight felony convictions, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after fifteen years under the recidivist statute.The West Virginia courts denied Wills relief, stating that the void-for-vagueness doctrine does not apply to their proportionality test. The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia affirmed this decision, distinguishing Wills’s case from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in Johnson v. United States and Sessions v. Dimaya, which invalidated certain statutory provisions as unconstitutionally vague. The state court maintained that the proportionality test was clear and did not fall under the same scrutiny as the statutes in Johnson and Dimaya.Wills then filed a federal habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, which the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia also denied. The district court found that the state court’s decision was not contrary to or an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law. The court noted that the proportionality test serves as a judicial limitation on the recidivist statute, unlike the statutory mandates in Johnson and Dimaya.The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision. The court held that the state court’s ruling was not an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law, as the U.S. Supreme Court has not extended the void-for-vagueness doctrine to judicially crafted proportionality tests. Therefore, Wills’s habeas petition was denied. View "Wills v. Pszczolkowski" on Justia Law