The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a federal appeals court decision allowing a Louisiana police officer’s lawsuit to proceed holding a Black Lives Matter leader responsible for an jury the officer suffered during a protest over a police killing of a black man in 2016. The court said that since the case involved significant issues in Louisiana law, the case should first go to the state supreme court. (CNBC, November 2, 2020, by Tucker Higgins)
Constitutional law professor Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, April 30, 2020, writes that whereas a federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump could with impunity encourage followers to rough up protesters at one of his rallies, a different federal appeals court found that Black Lives Matter leader DeRay McKesson could be held accountable for not preventing violence during a protest he led. Epps argues that the case could discourage citizens from organizing peaceful protests if they are held accountable for acts of violence by fellow protesters.