By Steve Neavling
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a Georgia family to move forward with a lawsuit against the FBI after agents raided the wrong house in 2017.
In a unanimous decision, the justices ruled that Toi Cliatt, his then-girlfriend Trina Martin, and her 7-year-old son can pursue claims of assault, battery, and false imprisonment under the Federal Tort Claims Act, NBC News reports. The case now returns to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
During the early-morning raid, agents used flash-bang grenades, entered with guns drawn, handcuffed Cliatt, and prevented Martin from reaching her son, who awoke to find agents in his bedroom. The agents left after realizing they had the wrong house and later arrested their intended target nearby.
The court didn’t decide whether a legal provision shielding federal officials from liability applies, but removed a key hurdle preventing the plaintiffs from arguing their case.
Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged lower courts are divided on the issue, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted there’s reason to believe the exception shouldn’t block claims like this.
