Officer and Municipality Liability for Alleged Misconduct

In the event of police misconduct, not only can municipalities stand liable but so can individual police officers. In most instances an officer would be indemnified for their actions but in states like Colorado, that isn’t always the case. What does that mean for those who protect our communities in blue uniforms?

In this episode of Special Reports, Madeline Meacham and Michael Haddad join producer Laurence Colletti to discuss these issues and more. Together they review the types of allegations that can make officers liable as well as qualified immunity for reasonable mistakes. Tune in to hear more about responsible media coverage, excessive use of force, and how it may be easier to win a suit against an officer than the city he or she serves.

Madeline Meacham is in private practice in Boulder, Colorado. Before that she worked as a county attorney with Boulder County where, among many areas, she represented the Sheriff’s Department in civil suits.

Michael Haddad is a civil rights trial attorney from Oakland, California where he represents people suing police for misconduct.