Qualified immunity is a type of legal immunity. “Qualified immunity balances two important interests—the need to hold public officials accountable when they exercise power irresponsibly and the need to shield officials from harassment, distraction, and liability when they perform their duties reasonably.” In Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800 (1982), the Supreme Court held that federal government officials are entitled to qualified immunity. The Court reasoned that “the need to protect officials who are required to exercise discretion and the related public interest in encouraging the vigorous exercise of official authority” is a necessary one. Those that claim that Qualified Immunity shields police officers from civil liability need to be informed on the balance of clearly established law and discretionary acts. Join us to see that it is important to “not throw the baby out with the bathwater” when it comes to police reform and qualified immunity.
