Supreme Court revives FBI 'wrong house' raid lawsuit

The Supreme Court revived a lawsuit against the FBI in a damages claim arising from an incident in which agents raided the wrong house in Atlanta.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday revived a lawsuit against the FBI in a damages claim arising from an incident in which agents raided the wrong house in Atlanta.

The ruling marks a narrow win for Toi Cliatt, his former girlfriend Trina Martina and her son Gabe Watson, who were all present in the house during the October 2017 encounter.

The unanimous decision written by Justice Neil Gorsuch means they can continue to press claims alleging assault, battery and false imprisonment under a law called the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), one of the few avenues to hold federal officials accountable. Litigation will now continue in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"We look forward to continuing this fight with the Martins in the Eleventh Circuit and making it easier for everyday people to hold the government accountable for its mistaken and intentional violations of individual rights," Patrick Jaicomo, a lawyer at the libertarian Institute for Justice who represents the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

The case highlights the problem of law enforcement raiding the wrong house, which has happened in several high-profile cases.