Ruling in a civil case that centers on a 2014 false arrest of a Brooklyn man by the New York City Police Department, a divided U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued an opinion that may give a boost to plaintiffs who bring civil claims against police after criminal cases against them have concluded.
A six-justice majority of the high court found that courts across the country, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, hold too high a burden for plaintiffs to bring malicious-prosecution claims under the Fourth Amendment—specifically that they must prove their criminal matters ended with an “affirmative indication of innocence,” such as an acquittal or dismissal, as well as a judge’s statement that there was insufficient evidence to bring those cases.
