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The Independent
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Supreme Court revives lawsuit from Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI
An Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI will get a new day in court, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday. The opinion comes after a predawn 2017 raid in which an armed FBI SWAT team smashed in a front door and set off a flashbang grenade, pointing guns at a couple and terrifying a 7-year-old boy before realizing they were in the wrong house. The FBI team quickly apologized and left for the right place, with the team leader later saying that his personal GPS device had led him to the wrong address. The couple, Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt, filed a lawsuit against the federal government accusing the agents of assault and battery, false arrest and other violations. But lower courts tossed out the case. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found they couldn't sue over what amounted to an honest mistake. The appeals court also found the lawsuit was barred under a provision of the Constitution known as the Supremacy Clause, which says federal laws take precedence over state laws. The family's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that Congress clearly allowed for lawsuits like theirs after a pair of similar headline-making raids on wrong houses in 1974. The 11th Circuit was also ruling differently than other courts around the country, they said. Public interest groups from across the political spectrum urged the justices to overturn the ruling, saying its reasoning would severely narrow the legal path for people to sue the federal government in law-enforcement accountability cases. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Supreme Court revives lawsuit from Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI will get a new day in court, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The opinion comes after a predawn 2017 raid in which an armed FBI SWAT team smashed in a front door and set off a flashbang grenade, pointing guns at a couple and terrifying a 7-year-old boy before realizing they were in the wrong house. The FBI team quickly apologized and left for the right place, with the team leader later saying that his personal GPS device had led him to the wrong address. The couple, Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt, filed a lawsuit against the federal government accusing the agents of assault and battery, false arrest and other violations. But lower courts tossed out the case. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found they couldn't sue over what amounted to an honest mistake. The appeals court also found the lawsuit was barred under a provision of the Constitution known as the Supremacy Clause, which says federal laws take precedence over state laws. The family's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that Congress clearly allowed for lawsuits like theirs after a pair of similar headline-making raids on wrong houses in 1974. The 11th Circuit was also ruling differently than other courts around the country, they said. Public interest groups from across the political spectrum urged the justices to overturn the ruling, saying its reasoning would severely narrow the legal path for people to sue the federal government in law-enforcement accountability cases. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at
Associated Press
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Supreme Court revives lawsuit from Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by the FBI will get a new day in court, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday. The opinion comes after a predawn 2017 raid in which an armed FBI SWAT team smashed in a front door and set off a flashbang grenade, pointing guns at a couple and terrifying a 7-year-old boy before realizing they were in the wrong house. The FBI team quickly apologized and left for the right place, with the team leader later saying that his personal GPS device had led him to the wrong address. The couple, Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt, filed a lawsuit against the federal government accusing the agents of assault and battery, false arrest and other violations. But lower courts tossed out the case. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found they couldn't sue over what amounted to an honest mistake. The appeals court also found the lawsuit was barred under a provision of the Constitution known as the Supremacy Clause, which says federal laws take precedence over state laws. The family's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that Congress clearly allowed for lawsuits like theirs after a pair of similar headline-making raids on wrong houses in 1974. The 11th Circuit was also ruling differently than other courts around the country, they said. Public interest groups from across the political spectrum urged the justices to overturn the ruling, saying its reasoning would severely narrow the legal path for people to sue the federal government in law-enforcement accountability cases. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
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.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Supreme Court sounds willing to allow Atlanta family's lawsuit against FBI after wrong-house raid
Supreme Court sounds willing to allow Atlanta family's lawsuit against FBI after wrong-house raid Trina Martin, her son Gabe and her partner Toi Cliatt awoke one morning in October 2017 to what she called the 'monstrous noise' of a half-dozen FBI agents barging into their home with guns drawn. Show Caption Hide Caption Can FBI be sued if agents raid wrong house? Supreme Court to weigh in. Trina Martin, son Gabe Watson and partner Toi Cliatt seek compensation after their house was mistakenly raided by the FBI. WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court sounded willing to allow an Atlanta family to sue the FBI for compensation over the mistaken search of their home, but reluctant to define how much protection law enforcement officers deserve in carrying out their jobs. Trina Martin, her son Gabe and her partner Toi Cliatt awoke one morning in October 2017 to what she called the 'monstrous noise' of a half-dozen FBI agents barging into their home with guns drawn. But the FBI agents were at the wrong home, 436 feet from a similar beige, split-level house where a suspected gang member lived. The justices sounded willing to allow a lawsuit for compensation for the mistake, after lower courts dismissed the case. 'You are begging the question, which is, how far does this discretionary exception goes?' Justice Sonia Sotomayor told the government lawyer. The FBI agents described their meticulous planning to search the house by locating it with GPS during daylight, taking pictures and drawing up a tactical plan. Frederick Liu, an assistant to the solicitor general, said officers were weighing public safety concerns and executing the search swiftly through steps such as not checking the address on the mailbox at the house before entering. 'Don't break down the wrong door' Justice Gorsuch asked whether U.S. policy says, 'don't break down the wrong door of a house' or 'don't traumatize its occupants.' 'How about make sure you're on the right street?' Gorsuch asked. 'Of course, it's the United States policy to execute the warrants at the right house,' Liu replied. 'What I would say is exactly what the courts below found, which is that the officers here made a reasonable mistake as to where they were." Liu said a 1974 change in federal law at the heart of the case removed one protection for police against lawsuits but left another in place to block the family's case. But Sotomayor was skeptical. 'That is so ridiculous,' Sotomayor said. What is the Federal Tort Claims Act? The family sued under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which Congress amended in 1974 to allow lawsuits against law enforcement after two wrong-house raids the year before. But the government argued that judges shouldn't second-guess agents doing their jobs. A District Court and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case by finding the agents were immune. Gorsuch asked whether the high court could send the case back to the 11th Circuit to determine whether the FBI in this case deserved discretion to make the mistake they did. 'Wouldn't that be a sensible course?' Gorsuch asked. Patrick Jaicomo, a lawyer at the Institute for Justice representing the family, said federal appeals courts have disagreed about how much discretion police deserve with messy discussions of the faces of specific cases. But the 11th Circuit's decision would rule out any lawsuits against law enforcement – despite Congress changing the law, Jaicomo argued. 'The line is being drawn right now by all the circuits. They're just confused about where to draw it,' Jaicomo said. 'There needs to be some guidance on this, so that this statutory provision actually has effect.' Roberts suggests lawsuit 'plausible' under statute The statute removed sovereign immunity from lawsuits for "assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, abuse of process or malicious prosecution" based on 'acts or omissions of investigative or law enforcement officers of the United States Government." Liu, the government lawyer, said Congress hadn't intended to remove all protections for law enforcement based on where changes were made in the statute. But Chief Justice John Roberts said lawmakers are busy and 'it's certainly plausible' the family's lawsuit should be allowed. 'I don't really think that's plausible,' Liu replied. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the justices could simply return the case to the 11th Circuit by saying a provision in the Constitution doesn't prevent a lawsuit and let the lower-court judges sort out how much discretion police deserve in making mistakes. Justices sound reluctant to define how much protection police get from lawsuits Justices sounded reluctant to map out how much discretion law enforcement officers deserve. Sotomayor said a Secret Service agent who mistakenly arrested someone while protecting the president deserved protection from a claim of false arrest. She disagreed that legal claims for intentional actions could never be discretionary. 'I'm not quite sure that's true,' Sotomayor said. Justice Samuel Alito told the family's lawyer the high court could simply send the case back to the 11th Circuit to discuss how much discretion to grant the FBI agents for their mistake. 'I know you would like us to go quite far,' Alito said. 'Why should we go further than that and get into this enormously complicated question about the scope of the discretionary function exception?'
