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Supreme Court backs officer seeking immunity from Vermont House protester’s excessive force claims

The Supreme Court ruled that prior case law did not clearly prohibit using a rear wristlock on a resistant protester, granting qualified immunity to Sgt. Jacob Zorn.

  • The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Vermont State Police Sergeant Jacob Zorn is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit by protester Shela Linton over a wristlock used during a 2015 Vermont Capitol protest.
  • The Court reversed the Second Circuit's decision, holding that prior legal precedent did not clearly establish that Zorn's use of force violated the Constitution, thus shielding him from civil liability.
  • Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, dissented, arguing that a jury should decide if Zorn used excessive force and warning that the ruling weakens Fourth Amendment protections.
  • The case arose from a protest where Linton alleged injuries after Zorn forcibly removed her with a wristlock following her resistance to police orders.
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The Washington Post broke the news on Monday, March 23, 2026.
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