Supreme Court backs officer seeking immunity from Vermont House protester’s excessive force claims

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Vermont police officer who forcibly removed a protester from a House floor sit-in a decade ago is shielded by qualified immunity from a lawsuit alleging excessive force. The unsigned 6-3 decision, split along ideological lines, blocks the case from proceeding to trial and prevents the protester from seeking damages. Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects government officials from civil liability unless they violate a "clearly established" constitutional right, a standard the court's conservative majority continues to narrow. The three liberal justices dissented, voting to allow the case to advance. The ruling reflects the court's expanding protection for police officers facing misconduct claims, a trajectory that has frustrated civil rights advocates and the court's progressive wing.