The Supreme Court just got an important police violence case right

The Supreme Court’s focus on Thursday was the Trump v. CASA case, questioning President Donald Trump’s authority to revoke citizenship from many Americans. Justices expressed doubts about the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship but might grant him a temporary win on a procedural matter regarding a judge blocking his order nationwide. Before this hearing, the Court unanimously ruled against a federal appeals court’s unusual handling of police violence cases in the Barnes v. Felix case.

Barnes originated from a routine traffic stop that ended tragically when Officer Roberto Felix Jr. fatally shot driver Ashtian Barnes. The case was sent back to the Fifth Circuit by the Supreme Court to reassess under the correct legal standard, a win for Barnes’s family. The Fifth Circuit’s flawed approach to evaluating police use of force cases was criticized by Justice Elena Kagan in the Court’s decision, emphasizing the need to consider the full circumstances leading to the use of force.

The Fifth Circuit’s restrictive rule, focusing solely on the moment of the threat, was deemed illogical by Kagan. She highlighted the importance of examining earlier events to understand how a reasonable officer would act in a given situation. The decision in Barnes rectified the Fifth Circuit’s flawed rule, emphasizing the need to evaluate police actions in their entirety rather than in isolation.

While the outcome of Barnes remains uncertain, the ruling sets a precedent for evaluating police use of force cases comprehensively. The decision underscores the importance of contextualizing police actions and avoiding arbitrary judgments based on isolated incidents.