Supreme Court: FBI Can Be Sued For Middle Of The Night Raid At Wrong Home

The Supreme Court has unanimously decided to allow an Atlanta family another chance to pursue their lawsuit against the FBI after their home was mistakenly raided in 2017. During the predawn raid, an armed FBI SWAT team mistakenly entered the home of Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt, terrifying the couple and their seven-year-old son. The team, realizing the error, quickly apologized and left, with the team leader attributing the mistake to his personal GPS device leading them to the wrong address.

The family filed a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing the agents of assault and battery, false arrest, and other violations. However, lower courts dismissed the case, citing the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which states that federal laws take precedence over state laws. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the family couldn't sue over what it considered an honest mistake.

The family's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that Congress had allowed for such lawsuits following similar incidents in 1974. They also pointed out that the 11th Circuit's ruling differed from other courts across the country. Public interest groups from various political backgrounds supported the family's appeal, stating that the lower court's decision would significantly limit the ability to hold the federal government accountable in similar cases.

The Supreme Court's decision to revive the lawsuit offers the family a new opportunity to seek justice. The case will now return to the lower courts for further proceedings.