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The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of officers accused of excessive force

No justices dissented in Monday's Supreme Court decision that preserved the qualified immunity doctrine in two cases involving allegations of excessive force by police officers. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption

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The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of officers accused of excessive force

October 18, 2021 • Advocates have called for the court or Congress to reform the qualified immunity doctrine, the controversial legal defense that protects police from liability when accused of misconduct.

Therrious Davis for NPR

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An Immune System

July 8, 2020 • While it's technically possible to win a civil lawsuit against police officers for wrongdoing, there's a reason it almost never happens: a legal technicality called qualified immunity. On this episode, we look at how a law meant to protect Black people from racist violence gave way to a legal doctrine that many people see as the biggest obstacle to police reform.

An Immune System

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