Congressional Co-Sponsors for The Ending Qualified Immunity Act

#AndrewJosephIII, lovingly known as PeeWee, was killed at “Student Day” at the Florida State Fair in Tampa at the age of 14 on February 7, 2014. Snatched up by sheriffs after being accused of no more than running on the parkway, this honor-roll, standout athlete, middle-schooler was targeted, physically searched, had a mugshot style phot taken, was loaded into a sheriffs' vehicle, and abandoned in the rain and darkness on the side of a busy interstate 2 miles away. 98 other children - all of them Black - were removed from the fair in a similar fashion.

In an attempt to find his way back to his ride, Andrew was advised by sheriffs that the only thing separating him from the parking lot was the highway.  In his attempt to cross, Andrew was hit and killed by a white motorist who was never breathalyzed or held by law enforcement.  For more than nine years now, the Joseph family has been struggling for justice in Andrew's name. Qualified immunity - the unjust legal doctrine which blocks police from being held accountable - has been used at every turn.

We need YOU to take action!

Police not being held accountable for their deadly actions is dangerous to all. You can make the public safer by asking your Congressmember to co-sponsor The End Qualified Immunity Act with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. It's beyond time to #EndQualifiedImmunity 

What is Qualified Immunity?

Qualified immunity is judicially created and refers to a series of court decisions that protect government officials, including police who are accused of violating someone’s Constitutional rights. To win a civil lawsuit against a police officer, the victim or survivor must show that the officer violated "clearly established law," most often by pointing to previous “factually similar” cases. Qualified immunity is used to protect police from liability for the harm they cause.

Impact

Qualified Immunity makes it extremely difficult to hold officers accountable even when it appears they violated someone's civil rights because there is no "previously established law" to challenge them since similar cases have not been pursued because police are shielded from such cases, creating a cycle of impunity. In practice, qualified immunity has shielded officers from liability in thousands of civil cases, even when accused of abuse or killing people. 

Join #TeamPeeWee and take action now! Tell your Member of Congress to sign on to the Ending Qualified Immunity Act!