Atlanta residents Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt are heading back to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to hold FBI agents accountable for raiding their former home.
“They ran in my room, pointing guns at my face,” Watson told Channel 2 Action News.
Only after agents had already entered the home, did they realize the mailbox number did not correspond to the address on the warrant. Though Cliatt and Martin are no longer together, they are united in their quest for justice, Channel 2 Action News reported. The plaintiffs have been fighting for nearly a decade to hold the FBI agents accountable for “personal injuries and property damage” caused by their error.
Historically, federal law enforcement has been protected by a form of immunity. Still, the legal journey of Martin and Cliatt has explored the boundaries of the Supremacy Clause and the Federal Tort Claims Act, which grant the federal government immunity for such errors. Initially, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that constitutional immunity clauses barred the lawsuit, but the family successfully appealed to the nation’s highest court.
“The highest court in the land sides with you, it lets you know you’re doing the right thing,” Cliatt told the outlet.
Cliatt’s and Martin’s continued efforts to attain justice serve two purposes. If successful, not only will both parties receive personal restitution, they will also set a path forward to challenge historical immunity that often shields federal agents from the consequences of botched raids.
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Source: Black Enterprise
