Individuals suing the government for malicious prosecution only need to show that the case against them was dismissed by the court and not that it ended in an affirmation of their innocence, the US Supreme Court said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2022) Individuals suing the government for malicious prosecution only need to show that the case against them was dismissed by the court and not that it ended in an affirmation of their innocence, the US Supreme Court said on Monday.
"To demonstrate a favorable termination of a criminal prosecution for purposes of the Fourth Amendment claim under 1983 for malicious prosecution, a plaintiff need not show that the criminal prosecution ended with some affirmative indication of innocence. A plaintiff need only show that his prosecution ended without a conviction," the Supreme Court said in their written decision.
The decision was delivered in the case of Larry Thompson, a man who was charged with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest after telling officers seeking to enter his home over sexual abuse allegations that they could not come in without a warrant. No evidence of the allegations were found and the charges against Thompson were dismissed before trial without any formal explanation.
Thompson sued over several alleged constitutional violations, including a Fourth Amendment malicious prosecution claim. Lower courts ruled against Thompson since his case had not ended in a way that affirmatively indicated his innocence, given no evidence could be provided explaining this dismissal of his case.
The Supreme Court's decision reverses the judgments of the lower courts and remands the case for further proceedings consistent with their legal opinion.
