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Supreme Court appears wary of former inmate’s quest for damages over prison medical care
Justices weighed whether to narrow or end Bivens, a precedent lawyers say is one of the few ways to seek damages from federal officers.
- On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Nielsen v. Watanabe, examining whether citizens can sue federal law enforcement officers for damages when constitutional rights are violated.
- Kekai Watanabe alleges that prison nurse Francis Nielsen violated his Eighth Amendment rights by refusing medical care after a 2021 gang riot at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
- The lawsuit challenges the 1971 Bivens decision, which created a path to sue federal officers for constitutional violations. Attorneys for Nielsen argue the precedent is now obsolete.
- Chief Justice John Roberts appeared open to a narrower ruling during Monday's arguments, questioning why the court should not defer to the government's "cautious, incremental" approach.
- Experts warn that eliminating Bivens could grant federal officers absolute immunity. With the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act stalled, a decision is expected by June 2027.
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24 Articles
24 Articles
Supreme Court seems likely to limit prisoners’ ability to sue over claims of poor medical care
The justices did not seem ready to overturn a 1971 precedent that let individuals harmed by federal officers in violation of their constitutional rights sue for monetary damages.
·Washington, United States
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Supreme Court appears wary of former inmate’s quest for damages over prison medical care
The Supreme Court on Monday appeared unlikely to allow a Hawaii man’s damages claim to go forward against a prison nurse for allegedly ignoring his medical needs, but some justices signaled reluctance to do away entirely with a decades-old precedent that lets federal officials be held individually liable for violating constitutional rights. Early into oral…
·Washington, United States
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Fort Smith/Fayetteville News+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Supreme Court weighs whether federal law enforcement can be liable for constitutional violations
The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case over whether people can sue federal officials for violating constitutional rights and seek damages.
·Fort Smith, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left11Leaning Right1Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 46%
C 50%
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