532 F. Supp. 198 - Ayler v. Hopper’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 1 district · 1 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “It has long been understood that in interpreting the scope of § 1983 we are not bound by the state law of torts or the defenses of privilege that law provides. In an unbroken line of Supreme Court cases . . . the conduct of police officers and other state officials has, both civilly ... and criminally . . ., been held subject to standards demanded by the Constitution of the United States, regardless of approbation by state law .... A state rule of immunity or privilege which allows a state officer to escape liability for a deprivation of “rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution of the United States” is simply not controlling under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 .”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 531 F. Supp. 129 - Jacobs v. City of Wichita

2. “that the use of deadly force to stop a fleeing or escaping felon constitute[s] a civil rights violation actionable under Sec. 1983 'unless the [state] official has good reason to believe that the use of such force is necessary to prevent imminent, or at least a substantial likelihood of, death or bodily harm,'”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Pruitt v. City of Montgomery