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8h ago

Supreme Court to Hear Case on FBI’s Wrong-House Raid

The justices will decide if Trina Martin’s family can sue the federal government for damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act after a mistaken 2017 raid traumatized them.

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Trina Martin, cuddles her son Gabe Watson, 14, April 23, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia, outside of Cliatt's home, the site of a mistaken FBI raid that took place while all three were inside the home in 2017. After multiple lower courts dismissed the victims' lawsuit, the Supreme Court will decide whether victims of wrong-house searches can sue the FBI.
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Overview

  • The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether Trina Martin’s 2019 lawsuit against the U.S. government can proceed, addressing federal accountability for law enforcement mistakes.
  • In 2017, FBI agents mistakenly raided Martin’s Atlanta home, detaining her and her then-boyfriend at gunpoint while her 7-year-old son cried in fear.
  • Martin’s lawsuit alleges assault, false arrest, and emotional trauma, but lower courts dismissed the case, citing law enforcement immunity for ‘honest mistakes.’
  • The case hinges on the Federal Tort Claims Act, which Congress amended in 1974 to allow lawsuits for intentional misconduct by federal law enforcement after similar botched raids.
  • The decision could redefine the balance between federal law enforcement immunity and victims’ rights to seek compensation for government actions.