FreedomFest 2018

"Police officers have a challenging job that often involves dealing with people at their worst and responding to dangerous and unpredictable situations. And while many officers perform their duties with professionalism and integrity, it is increasingly clear from smartphone recordings and other sources that officers also abuse their power and violate the rights of those they are sworn to protect—with sometimes fatal results.

One of the most important tools we have for holding police and other public officials accountable is the ability to sue them for damages when they violate our rights. But the Supreme Court has systematically undermined this vital accountability mechanism with a legal fiction called “qualified immunity” that makes it nearly impossible to hold public officials liable for their misconduct and helps create a policy of near-zero accountability for law enforcement. The result is an unacceptably high tolerance for bad actors and unprofessional conduct that destroys community relationships in areas where effective policing is most urgently needed.

Join us for a conversation about the challenges presented by the judicially invented doctrine of qualified immunity and learn about market-based solutions that can help ensure proper accountability for law enforcement while leveling the playing field between citizens and police."