End qualified immunity

Qualified immunity protects the police from civil liability when they violate an individual’s constitutional rights. People harmed, injured, or killed by police rarely receive justice or compensation for damages. Victims of police misconduct and their families often spend years in court seeking justice only for officers to be shielded by qualified immunity. Many cases don’t make it to trial at all.

A law enforcement officer armed with a nightstick grabbing a protestor's sign. A purple shield is superimposed over the officer.Two armed officers ramming into a door with a purple shield superimposed over one officer's helmetA law enforcement officer leaning over a car window with a purple shield superimposed over the officer's face.

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that ensures that a police officer—or any government official—is immune from civil accountability unless the officer’s actions were “clearly established” (in other words, previously ruled as unconstitutional in the same court jurisdiction).

In Collie v. Barron, police officers racially profiled David Collie and mistook him for a robbery suspect. Officer Barron shot the unarmed Mr. Collie in the back, paralyzing him. Officer Barron was protected from civil liability because Mr. Collie couldn’t prove that the officer's actions violated “clearly established” law. Mr Collie succumbed to his injuries and died in a nursing home at 38. Mr. Collie is one of many people who never saw justice as a result of qualified immunity. Read more cases like this.

The wrong people are being protected in this country. No one should be above the law. We must eliminate qualified immunity now.

Learn more and join the fight; let’s support victims and end qualified immunity.

Learn More: Why End Qualified Immunity?

A National Crisis

Qualified immunity protects police officers from civil liability everywhere. Officers nationwide face no financial consequences when they violate community members’ rights. Explore the map below to discover examples and stories in every state.

How Do We Fix This?

In order to ensure victims whose rights have been violated receive financial compensation, there are 4 practices that must END and 5 practices that must START.

End

  • Qualified immunity for all police officers
  • Qualified immunity for all public employees
  • Qualified immunity for all state and U.S. constitutional violations
  • Cap on monetary amount awarded to victims; plaintiffs should be paid what they are owed

Start

  1. Ensuring that attorney fees are covered for victims of police misconduct 
  2. Guaranteeing that victims are compensated the full amount awarded
  3. Holding officers (present at the scene) civilly liable if they fail to intervene when a fellow officer violates someone’s constitutional rights
  4. Publicly disclosing misconduct records pertaining to a relevant case 
  5. Enforcing consequences for officers who engage in wrongdoing—financial or otherwise
Had Enough? Get Involved.

Where Is Progress Being Made?

Campaign Zero has created a rubric to evaluate all previously proposed and passed legislation that aims to eliminate or limit qualified immunity. We demand that all legislation include these components.

Key Legislative Highlights

Updated

California

end

✓ ✗ ✗ ✓
2/4

start

✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗
3/5

Click for more details +

Colorado

end

✓ ✗ ✓ ✓
3/4

start

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗
3.5/5

Click for more details +

Connecticut

end

✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
2/4

start

✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓
1.5/5

Click for more details +

Maryland

end

✓ ✗ ✓ ✓
3/4

start

✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
4/5

Click for more details +

New York

end

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
4/4

start

✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓
3/5

Click for more details +

New York

end

✓ ✗ ✗ ✓
2/4

start

✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓
2.5/5

Click for more details +

Washington

end

✓ ✗ ✓ ✓
2.5/4

start

✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓
3.5/5

Click for more details +

STATE-BY-STATE IMPACT

Mouseover or select a state for more details.

Updated

0/9

0/9 criteria met
1/9 criteria met
2/9 criteria met
3/9 criteria met
4/9 criteria met
5/9 criteria met
6/9 criteria met
7/9 criteria met
8/9 criteria met
9/9 criteria met

9/9

Legislation pending
✓ Legislation recently passed
AL AK AZ AR
Recently passed legislation
✓
CA
Recently passed legislation
✓
CO
Recently passed legislation
✓
CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ
Recently passed legislation
✓
NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT
Recently passed legislation
✓
VT VA WA WV WI WY

Federal Bills

Want To Get Involved?

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Get the Word Out

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Engage with Legislators

Evaluate new legislation that is introduced in your state using our rubric, and advocate to introduce legislation to eliminate qualified immunity using our model policy to your local legislators today.

Contact Officials

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