The US Supreme Court has unanimously ruled in favour of an Atlanta family whose home was mistakenly raided by the FBI in 2017, allowing their lawsuit against the federal government to proceed.
The incident occurred during a predawn operation when an armed FBI SWAT team smashed in the front door of Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt's home, detonated a flashbang grenade, and pointed guns at the couple, terrifying their seven-year-old son. The agents quickly realised they were at the wrong address and apologised, with the team leader later attributing the error to his personal GPS device.
The family sued for assault, battery, false arrest, and other violations, but lower courts dismissed the case. The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the agents' actions amounted to an honest mistake and that the lawsuit was barred under the Supremacy Clause, which gives federal law precedence over state law.
The Supreme Court's decision overturns that ruling, citing Congress's intent to allow such lawsuits under a law enacted after similar wrongful raids in 1974. The justices noted that the 11th Circuit's interpretation conflicted with other federal courts, creating a legal inconsistency.
Public interest groups across the political spectrum had urged the court to hear the case, warning that the lower court's reasoning would severely limit citizens' ability to sue the federal government for law enforcement misconduct.
