[NFL\NBA\MLB\Qualified Immunity]
Player’s Coalition: “It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity…When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law.”
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The Players Coalition (consisting of NFL, NBA & MLB players) submitted a letter to Congress on Wednesday urging them to pass the Amash-Pressley Ending Qualified Immunity Act.
The letter was signed by over 1,400 athletes, coaches, and front-office executives from the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
The act would end qualified immunity for police officers and other government officials, making it easier to hold them accountable for their actions.
The Players Coalition released their letter on Twitter along with the names of every single person who had signed it.
The Players Coalition letter reads:
“It is time for Congress to eliminate qualified immunity and it can do so by passing the Amash-Pressley Bill. When police officers kill an unarmed man, when they beat a woman, or when they shoot a child, the people of this country must have a way to hold them accountable in a court of law. And officers must know that if they act in such a manner, there will be repercussions. A legal system that does not provide such a recourse is an illegitimate one. In their grief, people have taken to the streets because for too long, their government has failed to protect them. The Courts and elected officials alike have instead shielded people who caused unspeakable harm. Congress must not be complicit in these injustices, and it should take this important step to show that law enforcement abuse will not be tolerated.”
Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine in federal law that shields law enforcement and government officials from civil liability for things they do in the course of their job. Unless the action they take clearly violates a constitutional right — and there’s a prior identical case in which the official was held liable — they cannot be sued.
The bill proposed by Michigan Congressman Justin Amash and Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley would end qualified immunity and allow government officials and law enforcement to be sued for their actions.
For the rest of this Yahoo Sports story log on to: https://sports.yahoo.com/over-1400-athletes-coaches-executives-sign-players-coalition-letter-to-end-police-immunity-150408851.html
