4th Amendment Project | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Arizona Mistaken Identity Arrest

Penny McCarthy was mistaken for another woman and violently arrested by armed U.S. Marshals. She is suing over the violation of her Fourth Amendment rights.

4th Amendment Project | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Mendenhall v. Denver

The Fourth Amendment requires that warrants be supported by "oath or affirmation" but that requirement means almost nothing today because of a decades old Supreme Court decision. Michael Mendenhall's case could revive the original meaning…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

North Carolina SWAT Destruction

A North Carolina family is seeking to hold SWAT teams accountable for raiding the wrong home in April 2024.

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Atmore, Alabama Retaliation

Four residents of a small Alabama county were targeted for retaliation by a district attorney and sheriff. Now, they are suing with IJ to protect their constitutional rights.

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

Martin v. United States

FBI agents raided the wrong home in suburban Atlanta. Now the federal government refuses to compensate the victims even though Congress passed a law permitting suits for damages caused by federal employees.

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Florida Mistaken Identity Arrest

An innocent Texas woman was arrested in a case of mistaken identity while getting off a cruise in 2022. Now, she's suing Broward County for the unconstitutional arrest.

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Martinez v. High

Desiree Martinez bravely reported to the police the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her boyfriend, Kyle Pennington. But Pennington was a police officer, and came from a family of officers. Instead of…

First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Murphy v. Schmitt

Have you ever heard of someone being arrested and sent to jail for walking on the wrong side of the road? Probably not — because police officers never, or almost never, arrest people for such…

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Marion, Kansas Retaliation

Ruth Herbel moved to Marion, Kansas, as a young woman and has lived there for over 60 years. She raised a family while serving in several state and federal government jobs. But rather than opt…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

Jimerson v. Lewis – Texas Wrong House Raid

Everyone who visits a home for the first time—including delivery drivers, plumbers, and Girl Scouts—knows that you have to make sure you have the right address before barging in. Somehow, Waxahachie Police Department (WPD) Lieutenant…

Economic Liberty | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property

Virginia Retaliation

Theslet Benoir and Clemene Bastien are a married couple that immigrated to the United States from Haiti in 2005. They received asylum, settled in Parksley, Virginia, and opened a brick-and-mortar store that caters to the…

Immunity and Accountability | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

South Bend SWAT Destruction

In South Bend, a SWAT team raided the wrong home, leaving a single mom with thousands of dollars in damage not covered by insurance. She is suing for compensation.

Immunity and Accountability | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

Slaybaugh SWAT Appeal

Who pays when the government destroys private property for a public purpose, such as getting a fugitive off the streets? The answer should be clear: if the government breaks it, the government buys it. That’s…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Corporal Punishment Cert Petition

A New Orleans-area mother of a young girl is asking the United States Supreme Court to hear her case challenging a lower court’s decision to shield all violence by public-school officials from constitutional review. In…

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Iowa Retaliation

The right to criticize the government is a pillar of our constitutional republic—embodied in the text and history of the First Amendment. And yet, across the country that right continues to be violated by unaccountable…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Mohamud v. Weyker

Can a local police officer launder her lies and deceit through a state-federal task force to hide behind absolute federal immunity? IJ doesn’t think so, but with the help of the federal government, St. Paul…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Louisiana Overdetention

Percy Taylor was kept in a Louisiana prison 525 days past his release date. He is not alone in being held beyond his sentence in a Louisiana detention facility. In January 2023, the U.S. Department…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction

Los Angeles SWAT Destruction

For thirty years, Carlos Pena ran a print shop in North Hollywood. His world was turned upside down, however, in August 2022, when a fugitive forced his way into Carlos’s shop and barricaded himself inside…

4th Amendment Project | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Texas Traffic Stop

Alek Schott partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to announce a federal lawsuit against Bexar County deputies for illegally stopping him for a traffic violation that he didn’t commit, and then using the stop…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

DeVillier v. Texas

Supreme Court Argument Victory! On April 16th, the Supreme Court vacated the Fifth Circuit decision and ruled the Devillier family can sue Texas for flooding caused by the state. Resources Brief for Petitioners…

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Detroit Retaliation

Four years ago, Robert Reeves’ car was seized by police in Detroit using civil forfeiture. Although he was never charged with a crime, police attempted to use civil forfeiture to seize and keep Robert’s 1991…

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Anilao Cert Petition

A group of immigrant nurses whom rogue prosecutors tried to subject to indentured servitude, and their attorney who was criminally charged for providing legal advice, are asking the United States Supreme Court to hear their…

4th Amendment Project | First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Fort Bend Retaliation

Justin Pulliam, a citizen journalist in Texas, was arrested and prosecuted for his reporting on the activities of the Fort Bend County Sheriff. He is defending his First Amendment rights with a federal lawsuit.

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Yassin v. Weyker

It is well documented that St. Paul police officer Heather Weyker fabricated a crime ring and single-handedly ruined the lives of dozens of people, who she landed in federal prison through what one federal…

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

J.T.H. v. Spring Cook

Investigations can be an effective tool for intimidation. Government officials across the ideological spectrum weaponize this power to punish those who speak out against them. The stories of junk investigations are legion. Los Angeles just…

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

West Virginia Judicial Field Trip

The Institute for Justice (IJ) teamed up with a West Virginia man whose rights were violated by a Raleigh County family court judge. IJ and Matthew Gibson are urging the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of…

4th Amendment Project | Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Louisiana Traffic Stop

Mario Rosales and his girlfriend were pulled over for failing to signal, but a police camera clearly showed him signaling. Now Mario is suing over the Alexandria Police Department's "fishing trip" traffic stops.

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Novak v. Parma

Anthony Novak was arrested by his local police after he parodied the department on Facebook. His lawsuit against the city was dismissed after the officers were given qualified immunity.

First Amendment | First Amendment Retaliation | Immunity and Accountability

Bailey v. Iles

Waylon Bailey was arrested after making a joke about his local sheriff's office. His First Amendment lawsuit was dismissed after the deputies were granted qualified immunity.

Immunity and Accountability | Private Property

Mario Rosales Qualified Immunity

Mario Rosales was held at gunpoint by an off-duty sheriff's deputy even though he had done nothing wrong. Still, a court granted the officer qualified immunity and dismissed Mario's civil rights lawsuit.