Five years after George Floyd's death, calls to reform qualified immunity mostly fall silent

WASHINGTON — The death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in May 2020 gave momentum to a cross-ideological effort to reform the legal defense known as "qualified immunity," which can protect cops even when they have violated the Constitution.

WASHINGTON — The death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in May 2020 gave momentum to a cross-ideological effort to reform the legal defense known as "qualified immunity," which can protect cops even when they have violated the Constitution.

Bills were introduced in Congress calling to abolish the defense.

Multiple cases piled up at the Supreme Court urging the justices to intervene.

Much ink was spilled.

And then, nothing happened.