Crabbe, Brown & James, LLP Managing Partner, and General Counsel to the National Fraternal Order of Police, Larry H. James, recently testified before the Illinois Constitutional Rights and Remedies Task Force regarding qualified immunity. The task force was created under the SAFE-T Act in Illinois, a criminal justice reform bill that was enacted earlier this year. The purpose of the Illinois Task Force is to develop and propose policies and procedures to review and reform constitutional rights and remedies, including qualified immunity for peace officers.
Mr. James continues to play an integral role in the ongoing conversations across the country regarding police reform. His testimony, in part, noted that qualified immunity does not protect police officers from internal investigations, termination, discipline, or criminal prosecution. Moreover, as the Supreme Court recently stated, in cases where the officer’s actions are obviously reprehensible, the Court will not grant qualified immunity to the officer. Rivas-Villegas v. Ramos, 595 U.S. ___ (2021) (per curiam) (quoting Brosseau v. Haugen, 543 U.S. 194, 199 (2004) (“‘[I]n an obvious case, these standards can “clearly establish” the answer, even without a body of relevant case law.’”).
Mr. James is set to present at the 2021 National Lawyers Convention hosted by the Federalist Society on November 11, 2021 in Washington D.C. Since 2001, Crabbe, Brown & James, LLP has served as general counsel for the National Fraternal Order of Police (“FOP”), a fraternal organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. The FOP has over 356,000 members organized in 2,100 chapters (Lodges), state Lodge and the national Grand Lodge. The organization is dedicated to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those who serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement and employee representation.