- Term
- 2023-2024
Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon, Ohio
This case involved rules for pursuing a malicious prosecution case if a person is charged with violating the law but contends that their civil rights were violated if some of the charges were not based on probable cause of a crime. The Supreme Court considered whether such a civil suit against law enforcement can proceed where the plaintiff is facing multiple charges and some but not all lack sufficient evidence of a crime. At issue was the question of whether the Court should adopt an “any-crime” rule that would bar suit if there is evidence that any crimes were committed, or a “charge-specific” rule that would allow a civil rights violation to be pursued if wrongfully accused of a particular crime in a malicious way.
On June 20, 2024, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the police having probable cause for one charge does not preclude the possibility of a person’s civil rights being violated by a different charge without probable cause. Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch dissented.
