WASHINGTON, D. C. –– Attorney General Karl A. Racine issued the below statement today in response to a United States Supreme Court victory for the District in an important public-safety case. In District of Columbia v. Wesby, the court ruled in the District’s favor regarding arrests that Metropolitan Police Department officers made in 2008 at a late-night party in which the partygoers did not have permission to use the home where the party took place. The court unanimously found that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity, and the court ruled 7-2 that the officers had probable cause to arrest the partygoers.

A copy of the Court’s opinion is available here. Attorney General Racine’s statement is below.

“We are pleased the justices found that, given the particular circumstances in this case, the officers had both probable cause and qualified immunity. This is an important ruling that means that police officers can continue to carry out their vital duty to protect public safety.”