Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Supreme Court Rejects 'Moment of Threat' Doctrine in Police Use-of-Force Cases

The unanimous ruling revives a civil rights lawsuit over a 2016 fatal shooting, requiring courts to assess the full context of police actions.

From left, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, listen as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
FILE - The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen the morning before justices are expected to issue opinions in pending cases, in Washington, U.S., June 14, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that excessive force claims must consider the totality of circumstances, not just the moment an officer perceives a threat.
  • The decision allows Janice Hughes, the mother of Ashtian Barnes, to pursue her lawsuit against Officer Roberto Felix Jr. for the 2016 fatal shooting in Houston.
  • Lower courts had dismissed the case under the 'moment of threat' doctrine, which the Supreme Court rejected as too narrow for evaluating police conduct.
  • The case has been sent back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration under the broader standard established by the ruling.
  • Officer Felix retains the ability to invoke qualified immunity, a legal defense protecting officers if their actions were not clearly unlawful at the time.