Ashcroft v. al-Kidd
The Court Upholds Material-Witness Detentions No Matter the Motivation
Ashcroft v. al-Kidd was featured in Material-Witness Detentions, Supreme Court Debates (Apr. 2011). The following is excerpted from the summary of the majority opinion written by Justice Scalia, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions: The objectively reasonable arrest and detention of a material witness pursuant to a validly obtained warrant cannot be challenged as unconstitutional on the basis of allegations that the arresting authority had an improper motive. Qualified immunity shields a government official from money damages unless (1) the official violated a statutory or constitutional right, and (2) that right was “clearly established” at the time…
