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Civil Procedure Keyed to Babcock
Scott v. Harris
Citation:
550 U.S. 372 (2007)
ProfessorTodd Berman
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Facts
Defendant Scott observed Plaintiff Harris speeding. When Defendant Scott attempted to stop Plaintiff Harris, Harris fled. The incident turned into a high speed chase that was brought to an end when Defendant Scott—after receiving the okay from his supervisor to perform a maneuver to Plaintiff Harris’ car that would cause it to spin to a stop—misfired, causing Plaintiff Harris’ car to hit a tree. As a result of the crash Plaintiff Harris became a quadriplegic. The entire chase was caught on Defendant’s dash cam. Plaintiff Harris sued Defendant Scott for violating his Fourth Amendment right protecting him from unreasonable seizure. Both parties agreed that Defendant Scott’s actions were a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Defendant Scott moved for summary judgement based on qualified immunity. The district court denied his motion, holding that there were disagreements as to material facts. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed. Defendant Scott then appealed to the United States Supreme Court which granted certiorari.
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