Policing: Qualified Immunity Tops Agenda For Illinois Task Force Meeting

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Legal principles that protect government officials such as police officers from liability for certain actions while on duty will be front and center during an Illinois task force hearing Wednesday.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Illinois Constitutional Rights and Remedies Task Force is an offshoot of a sweeping police regulation bill known as the SAFE-T Act that lawmakers passed in January.

The task force meets virtually Wednesday afternoon.

Members are set to vote on recommendations to report to the full legislature.

“Qualified immunity and other statutory blanket protections for police has harmed communities, deprived victims of police misconduct relief, and also has failed every single police officer who serves the public professionally, dutifully, and constitutionally, yet cannot gain the public’s trust due to the unconstitutional actions of a small number of unaccountable police,” the ACLU of Illinois said in a memo to the task force.

Qualified immunity has “deprived victims of police misconduct relief, and also has failed every single police officer who serves the public professionally, dutifully, and constitutionally, yet cannot gain the public’s trust due to the unconstitutional actions of a small number of unaccountable police,” The ACLU said.

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