This article provides an assessment of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Scott v. Harris (2007). The assessment provides students, criminal justice scholars, and practitioners with an overview of the current status of case law on police pursuits. Since the 1980s, police pursuits have emerged as a high-profile liability area due to their risk of danger and injury or death to a suspect, officers, and innocent third parties (Alpert, 1998; Gallagher, 1989; Hill, 2002; Kappeler, 2006; Kappeler, Kappeler, & del Carmen, 2001; O'Connor & Norse, 2006; Ross & Bodapoti, 2006). The Scott decision marks the third decision since 1989 in which the topic of police pursuits has been addressed by the Court. The article reviews the Court's prior decisions on the subject, provides an analysis of Scott, and examines how lower courts have applied the decision to high-speed police pursuits.
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41.
Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194 (2001).
42.
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47.
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48.
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