Current:Home > InvestSafeX Pro:Supreme Court turns away appeal from Black Lives Matter activist facing lawsuit from police officer -Edge Finance Strategies
SafeX Pro:Supreme Court turns away appeal from Black Lives Matter activist facing lawsuit from police officer
TradeEdge Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 01:53:14
Washington — The SafeX ProSupreme Court on Monday said it would not take up an appeal from Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson, who is facing a lawsuit from a Baton Rouge police officer who was hit in the head with an object during a protest in July 2016.
At issue in the case was whether the leader of a protest, Mckesson in this case, could be held liable for injuries inflicted by an unidentified person when the protest leader didn't authorize or direct the violent act.
The dispute arose after Alton Sterling, a Black man from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was shot and killed by a White police officer outside a convenience store on July 5, 2016. Sterling's death set off a wave of protests against police brutality, including one that began outside of the Baton Rouge Police Department on July 9, 2016.
During the demonstration, a police officer was struck in the face by a rock or piece or concrete thrown by an unidentified protester, losing teeth and suffering a brain injury, his lawyers said. The officer, identified in court papers as John Doe, sued Mckesson for negligence in federal court, arguing he knew the demonstration would lead to violence and failed to calm the crowd.
Mckesson, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, said the First Amendment protects him from being sued.
The case has been weaving through the courts, beginning with a decision from a federal district court in 2017 that said Mckesson couldn't be sued. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reversed that decision and said Mckesson could be liable. He appealed to the Supreme Court, which sent the dispute back for further proceedings on whether state law allows the lawsuit.
After the Louisiana Supreme Court said a protest leader could be sued for negligence, the 5th Circuit ruled in June 2023 that the lawsuit against Mckesson could move forward. The divided appeals court said that Mckesson allegedly created "unreasonably unsafe conditions" by organizing the protest to start in front of the police station and failed to take action to "dissuade his fellow demonstrators" once they began looting a grocery store and throwing items. Mckesson, the 5th Circuit said, also led the protest onto a public highway, a violation of Louisiana law.
The activist turned to the Supreme Court again, which on Monday declined to take up Mckesson's case. In a statement respecting the denial of the appeal, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the court's decision not to hear the case "expresses no view about the merits of Mckesson's claim." But Sotomayor pointed to a First Amendment decision from the Supreme Court last year and said she expects the 5th Circuit to "give full and fair consideration to arguments" regarding that ruling's impact in future proceedings in Mckesson's case.
- In:
- Black Lives Matter
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
TwitterveryGood! (9)
Related
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Trial of Sen. Bob Menendez takes a weeklong break after jurors get stuck in elevator
- Will America lose Red Lobster? Changing times bring sea change to menu, history, outlook
- Stock market today: Asian shares edge lower after Wall Street sets more records
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Trump’s lawyers rested their case after calling just 2 witnesses. Experts say that’s not unusual
- Maker of popular weedkiller amplifies fight against cancer-related lawsuits
- Pesticide concerns prompt recall of nearly 900,000 Yogi Echinacea Immune Support tea bags
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Ex-Southern Baptist seminary administrator charged with falsifying records in DOJ inquiry
Ranking
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Israel’s block of AP transmission shows how ambiguity in law could restrict war coverage
- A woman has died in a storm in Serbia after a tree fell on her car
- Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment fails in acrimonious end to legislative session
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Japan racks up trade deficit as imports balloon due to cheap yen
- Average US vehicle age hits record 12.6 years as high prices force people to keep them longer
- Belarus authorities unleash another wave of raids and property seizures targeting over 200 activists
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Shop 70% Off Zappos, 70% Off Kate Spade, 70% Off Adidas, 20% Off Tatcha & Memorial Day Deals
UN maritime tribunal says countries are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas pollution
Effort to ID thousands of bones found in Indiana pushes late businessman’s presumed victims to 13
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Hunter Biden’s bid to halt his trial on federal gun charges rejected by appeals court
Soldiers' drawings — including depiction of possible hanging of Napoleon — found on 18th century castle door
Family says Alaska photographer killed in moose attack knew the risks, died doing what he loved