Supreme Court says police officer is immune from misconduct claim by protester

The Supreme Court granted qualified immunity to a Vermont police officer accused of using excessive force against a protester during a 2015 sit-in at the state capitol, shielding him from civil liability in an unsigned opinion. Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects government officials from lawsuits unless they violated a "clearly established" constitutional right that a reasonable officer would have known about. The ruling is likely to frustrate civil rights advocates who argue the doctrine makes it nearly impossible for citizens to hold police accountable for misconduct. The case reflects the Court's consistent reluctance to narrow qualified immunity despite years of calls from activists and some lawmakers to curtail or eliminate the protection. The decision leaves the protester without a path to recover damages for the alleged excessive force.