What is qualified immunity, and how does it affect my Michigan civil rights case?

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that can shield government officials, including police officers, from personal liability in civil rights lawsuits. It generally protects officials unless their conduct violated a "clearly established" constitutional right that a reasonable officer would have known about.

In practice, this means:

• Qualified immunity is often raised early in a case as a defense, sometimes before a jury ever hears the facts
• It does not mean misconduct didn't happen. It means the legal bar to hold someone personally liable is higher
• Cases with strong factual records, clear precedent, and skilled litigation can and do overcome qualified immunity

This is one of the most misunderstood parts of civil rights law, and it's exactly why these cases need attorneys who litigate them regularly. Jon Marko's trial record includes some of the largest civil rights verdicts in Michigan history, cases where qualified immunity defenses were raised and ultimately did not stop accountability.

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