How Does the FBI Raid the Wrong House? Timeline of Georgia Home Raid
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a case that could have major implications for law enforcement accountability.
At the center of the case is a 2017 FBI raid on a Georgia home that turned out to be at the wrong address. It's led to a legal battle over whether the federal government can be sued.
Here's what to know about the raid and the arguments now unfolding before the nation's highest court.
What We Know
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case involving an FBI raid on a Georgia home that turned out to be the wrong residence.
Trina Martin, left, and Toi Cliatt sit for a portrait inside the home the FBI mistakenly raided in 2017, in Atlanta on April 25, 2025.
Trina Martin, left, and Toi Cliatt sit for a portrait inside the home the FBI mistakenly raided in 2017, in Atlanta on April 25, 2025.
AP Photo/Sudhin Thanawala
In October 2017, FBI agents broke through Trina Martin's door in Atlanta, Georgia, during an early morning operation.
Per AP, FBI agents pointed guns at Martin, her former partner Toi Cliatt and her 7-year-old son, Gabe. Then, agents realized they were in the wrong place.
The owners of the raided home looked to sue the federal government in 2019. Typically, the U.S. government cannot be sued due to "sovereign immunity." However, the Federal Tort Claims Act makes exceptions and allows certain individuals to sue the government for damages.
But the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled the lawsuit was barred by the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
It's now the focus of a Supreme Court case, where oral arguments were heard April 29. The case highlights a major legal question about government accountability tied to unwarranted law enforcement raids.
Why Did the FBI Raid Happen?
The FBI was conducting a search for a gang suspect, per a report from USA Today. The correct address was down the street.
Cliatt told local outlet WSBTV Atlanta in January that he believes his house was wrongly targeted because his home sits on the corner of the street and is the same shade as the targeted home.
AP reported that the agent leader on the assignment said that his GPS pointed them to that house.
Supreme Court Reaction
Some Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism about the FBI's position during oral arguments.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch questioned the FBI's defense. He said: "No policy says, 'Don't break down the door of the wrong house? Don't traumatize its occupants?'"
Per AP, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson suggested there may be some situations where law enforcement decisions should be shielded from responsibility but added, "Perhaps not here."
What's Next
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the case this June or July.
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