Hinson Snipes, LLP

12/06/2025

08/21/2025

08/12/2025

04/15/2025

Honored to present with this panel for the second time.

01/11/2025

Recent Third Circuit Win Highlights the Need to Reevaluate Qualified Immunity

The recent victory of Hinson Snipes, LLP in the Third Circuit has reignited the debate on the necessity of qualified immunity in our legal system.

Justice Thomas, in his concurrence in Ziglar v. Abbasi, raised valid points critiquing the doctrine of qualified immunity. He highlighted its departure from the original common law principles established during the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, emphasizing the discretionary nature of the decisions made under this doctrine. Support for reevaluating qualified immunity is not new. Justice Breyer's 1997 proposal suggested that individuals should not enjoy immunity if their financial accountability is ultimately borne by their employer, questioning the fairness and accountability of such protection.

Moreover, Justice Kennedy's 1992 stance hinted at the potential redundancy of qualified immunity, especially in light of the Court's existing summary judgment practices, indicating a need to reassess the necessity of this legal safeguard for government defendants. The concerns raised by Justice Sotomayor in both 2015 and 2018 regarding the impact of qualified immunity decisions on perpetuating a culture of police violence further underscore the urgency to address the implications of this legal doctrine.

The recent success of Hinson Snipes, LLP serves as a catalyst for a broader conversation on the relevance and implications of qualified immunity in today's legal landscape. It prompts us to reflect on the evolving nature of legal protections and the need for a more nuanced approach to accountability in our justice system.

The Third Circuit ruling is significant because "qualified immunity makes it extremely difficult for victims of police misconduct to achieve justice," said plaintiff counsel Tracey Hinson.

02/20/2024

05/25/2023

The officer allegedly gave no verbal commands or warnings before shooting Charles Sharp III.

09/11/2022

Two more Paterson police officers were sentenced on Friday for illegally searching, beating and robbing the people they swore an oath to protect, according to the Department of Justice.

02/02/2022

A federal court on Wednesday allowed a former state court jurist to add New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart J. Rabner as a defendant in her lawsuit seeking back pay for the period of time she was suspended pending now-dismissed criminal charges alleging she helped her fugitive ex-boyfriend...

02/02/2022

TRENTON – A bar worker said city cops failed to protect him and fellow security guards from a drunken machete-wielding psycho during an attack that left him severely injured, according to a lawsuit…

02/02/2022

A woman who needed multiple operations after slipping in an icy parking lot received a $1.05 million settlement in her Mercer County suit, Ghant…