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Home News Supreme Court To Examine FBI Liability In Wrong-House Raid

Supreme Court To Examine FBI Liability In Wrong-House Raid

by Celia
supreme court

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will review whether the federal government can be held responsible for an FBI SWAT raid on the wrong home in suburban Atlanta. During the 2017 raid, agents broke down the door, threw a stun grenade, and held a family at gunpoint, according to The Washington Post.

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The raid deeply affected Curtrina Martin, her boyfriend Toi Cliatt, and her young son. However, their lawsuit seeking damages was dismissed in 2024 when the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal government was immune from liability. The family argues that the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), which waives immunity for certain actions by federal employees, was designed to protect victims of mistaken raids.

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The FTCA, passed in 1946 and amended in 1974 to include law enforcement actions, has exceptions that courts have interpreted differently. The appeals court ruled that an exception shields the government when federal employees exercise discretion within their duties.

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Seven members of Congress, including Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Supreme Court to hear the case. They argued that the 1974 amendment was designed to provide recourse for victims of wrong-house raids. Former Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, representing the FBI, argued that the appeals court’s decision was correct. She said Congress did not intend for the government to be liable for discretionary actions by law enforcement.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments and issue a decision by summer.

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