SCOTUS NEWS
on Jan 27, 2025
at 6:09 pm
Martin v. United States will doubtless be heard within the spring. (Katie Barlow)
The Supreme Court docket will weigh in on whether or not a Georgia household whose dwelling was mistakenly raided by an FBI SWAT workforce can sue the federal authorities for the error. Simply over six hours after the justices issued an inventory of orders from their Jan. 24 convention, and three days after they granted three instances from that convention, the courtroom issued a new order granting overview in Martin v. United States and fast-tracking the case for oral argument, presumably through the 2024-25 time period.
The federal authorities is often immune from lawsuits. The Federal Tort Claims Act waives that immunity and permits non-public people to sue the USA for the wrongful acts of federal staff if a non-public particular person may very well be held liable below the identical circumstances within the state the place the acts occurred. The legislation carves out an exception to that rule, nevertheless, for state-law claims that stem from a authorities official’s efficiency of a discretionary responsibility or perform.
The couple on the heart of the case, Curtrina Martin and Hilliard Cliatt, dwell with Martin’s younger son in suburban Atlanta. In 2015, the FBI meant to execute a no-knock warrant on the dwelling of a gang member, Joseph Riley. As an alternative, the brokers and SWAT workforce went to Martin and Cliatt’s dwelling. The couple lived lower than 500 ft from Riley in a home that regarded much like his, however had a unique deal with quantity and was on a unique avenue.
The SWAT workforce entered the home earlier than daybreak with a flashbang grenade – an explosive gadget that produces a vivid flash of sunshine and a really loud noise. Members of the workforce handcuffed Cliatt and pointed weapons at each Martin – who was solely partially dressed – and him.
Finally the brokers realized that that they had gone to the fallacious home, apologized, and indicated that the FBI would deal with repairs for the damages to the home.
Martin and Cliatt filed a lawsuit in federal courtroom in Georgia in opposition to (as related right here) the USA. They introduced quite a lot of state-law claims, together with false arrest, negligence, false imprisonment, and assault and battery, below the FTCA.
The U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the eleventh Circuit upheld the district courtroom’s dismissal of Martin and Cliatt’s claims. The household then got here to the Supreme Court docket, which agreed on Monday to determine whether or not their claims below the FTCA are barred below the Structure’s supremacy clause, on the idea that choices just like the one at situation by the FBI brokers on this case can have a connection to advancing federal coverage and subsequently takes priority over state legislation, and to weigh in on the appliance of the “discretionary perform” exception.
In a written assertion, attorneys for Martin and Cliatt applauded the choice to grant overview. “When police — together with the FBI — raid the fallacious home, they should be held accountable for the damages,” mentioned Anya Bidwell of the Institute for Justice.
This text was originally published at Howe on the Court.
