Right now, our legal system makes it almost impossible to hold police officers accountable when they violate the rights of New Mexicans. New Mexico laws are currently too narrow to allow individuals to successfully sue police and other public officials for state constitutional violations.
The New Mexico Civil Rights Act creates a legal remedy for New Mexicans to bring claims for damages in state court against police officers and other public officials who violate the rights guaranteed to them under the New Mexico Constitution. The bill specifically prohibits the use of “qualified immunity,” a federal legal doctrine that makes it nearly impossible for individuals to sue public officials by requiring proof that they violated “clearly established law.
