Federal appeals court rejects qualified immunity for judge who jailed 2 kids
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis last week found that a Missouri judge who locked two children in jail cells was not shielded by qualified immunity. (Image from Shutterstock)
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis last week found that a Missouri judge who locked two children in jail cells was not shielded by qualified immunity.
The appeals court panel found that Taney County, Missouri, Judge Eric Eighmy could be held liable for violating the children’s Fourth Amendment rights.
Eighmy put the children into holding cells after a 2019 hearing because he was frustrated by their resistance to a parental custody decision, according to a story by Reason.
“A reasonable judge should have known better,” 8th Circuit Judge David Stras wrote for the three judge panel.
The panel also noted that “judges do not do double duty as jailers.”
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
_(1).jpg)
