End qualified immunity in Ohio

Case Studies

Bills and Legislation

Introduced in 2021

Failed

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(2/4legislation passed)

  • Ends Qualified Immunity for all law enforcement officers

    Yes, section 1 of the bill states, "... **any peace officer who, under color of law, and by the officer's act or omission in the course of the performance of the officer's official responsibilities, subjects or causes to be subjected any other individual to the deprivation of that individual's individual rights is liable to that individual in an action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or for injunctive relief or any other appropriate relief.** Subject to division (B) (2) of this section and except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, any peace officer who fails to intervene in another peace officer's act or omission as described in division (B)(1) of this section is liable in an action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or for injunctive relief or any other appropriate relief."

  • Ends Qualified Immunity for all public employees

    No, the bill does not meet the standard.

  • Ends Qualified Immunity for all state constitutional violations

    Yes, section 1 of the bill states, "... **any peace officer who, under color of law, and by the officer's act or omission in the course of the performance of the officer's official responsibilities, subjects or causes to be subjected any other individual to the deprivation of that individual's individual rights is liable to that individual in an action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or for injunctive relief or any other appropriate relief.** Subject to division (B) (2) of this section and except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, any peace officer who fails to intervene in another peace officer's act or omission as described in division (B)(1) of this section is liable in an action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or for injunctive relief or any other appropriate relief." Per the bill, "(1) "Individual rights" means all **rights of an individual that are secured by Article I of the Ohio Constitution,** and that create binding obligations on government actors to protect those rights."

  • Ends monetary caps on all public liability amounts

    No, the bill does not meet the standard. The Ohio Revised Code, Section 2315.18, has a cap of $250,000 for damages for noneconomic loss.

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(4.5/5legislation passed)

  • Implements a failure-to-intervene clause

    The bill partially meets the standard. Section 1 of the bill states, "Subject to division (B)(2) of this section and except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, **any peace officer who fails to intervene in another peace officer's act or omission as described in division (B)(1) of this section is liable in an action for damages for injury, death, or loss to person or for injunctive relief or any other appropriate relief.**”

  • Guarantees that victims are compensated the full amount awarded

    Yes, section 1 of the bill states, "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subject to division (D)(2) of this section and except as provided in division (F) of this section, **the political subdivision that employs a peace officer shall indemnify and hold harmless the peace officer in the amount of any judgment or settlement**, other than a judgment for punitive or exemplary damages, that is obtained against the officer in an action brought under this section."

  • Starts attorney fees

    Yes, section 1 of the bill states, "If the court enters judgment in favor of the plaintiff who brings an action under division (B)(1) of this section, **the court shall award to the plaintiff any recoverable compensatory and punitive or exemplary damages if the action is for damages and any reasonable attorney's fees and court costs incurred by the plaintiff in any action described in that division.**”

  • Starts holding individual employees accountable

    Yes, section 1 of the bill states, "**If the political subdivision that employs a peace officer against whom an action is brought under this section determines that the officer did not act upon a good faith and reasonable belief that the officer's act or omission was lawful or the officer's failure to intervene in another peace officer's act or omission was lawful, the peace officer is personally liable pursuant to any judgment or settlement entered against the peace officer.** The political subdivision that employs that peace officer shall not indemnify the officer under division (D) (2) of this section for five per cent of the amount of the judgment or settlement or twenty-five thousand dollars, whichever is less. (E) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, if the judgment or settlement or any portion of the judgment or settlement entered against the peace officer is uncollectible from the officer, the peace officer's employer or employer's liability insurance shall satisfy the amount of the judgment or settlement that is so uncollectible."

  • Starts disclosing public records

    No, the bill does not meet the standard.

Case studies in Ohio

Qualified immunity impacts everyone. Officers in your state are violating community members’ rights without consequence.

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