LAW
How Green v. Thomas Exposes The Injustice of Police-Qualified Immunity
There can be no justice without accountability
This principle of qualified immunity, “invented by the Supreme Court in 1967,” has shielded law enforcement officers from civil lawsuits for decades, far too often acting as the cement holding their “blue wall” intact. Nevertheless, in Green v. Thomas, this long-standing doctrine faces a powerful challenge. Desmond Green, the plaintiff in this case, endured two grueling years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit — capital murder. Detective Thomas framed Green through the use of a “drug-impaired jailhouse informant” to select his face from a lineup, leading to his wrongful imprisonment. “It was a horrifying wrong.”
Green’s unjust incarceration was compounded by inhumane conditions during his confinement. Often, he “did not have a mattress, or even a pad to sleep on the floor.” Constant threats of violence, the distracting presence of rodents, and moldy food provided to inmates exacerbated an already nightmarish experience. For years, Green lived in constant fear “for his life.” While the informant eventually recanted their statement, the harm was done. A Black man, through no fault of his own, endured two harrowing years behind bars.
