COURT RULES AIRLINE PASSENGERS CAN SUE TSA AGENTS FOR ABUSIVE SEARCHES

SOURCE: RT

A federal appeals court ruled travelers can sue Transportation Security Administration officers for “abusive conduct,” stripping the controversial agency of the government immunity that has protected it thus far.

The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia declared TSA screeners act as “investigative or law enforcement officers” when searching passengers, meaning they can be subject to civil claims for intentional wrongdoing under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The decision reverses a controversial 2018 ruling by a three-judge panel from the same court that effectively gave TSA officers immunity under the law.

The “intimate physical nature” of the screenings classifies them as a law enforcement act, the court ruled in a 9-4 decision on Friday, meaning the government’s immunity from lawsuits does not apply in cases where TSA agents abuse their power.

If you think you are a victim of intentional misconduct by TSA agents, you can now have your day in court,” exulted lawyer Paul Thompson. His client, Nadine Pellegrino, sued the TSA over a 2006 incident in which she was imprisoned for 18 hours and charged with crimes including assault and making terroristic threats, after objecting to an especially invasive screening as she attempted to board a US Airways flight at Philadelphia International Airport.

While she was acquitted of the charges two years later, Pellegrino and her husband sued the TSA for false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution – only to be told last year that they were not legally permitted to sue the TSA. Now, at least, the case can continue.

Dissenting judges feared the decision would open a Pandora’s box of lawsuits. But Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro noted that in 2015, less than 200 of the 700 million passengers screened filed complaints that could potentially have led to waivers of government immunity for the TSA.

The TSA has developed quite a reputation in the 18 years of its existence, with horror stories surfacing regularly in the media about invasive searches of children, veterans, and the elderly. In a recent example caught on video, triple-amputee US Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage (of “We Build the Wall” fame) was practically cavity-searched at the gate by an overzealous TSA agent. 

After a 2015 Department of Homeland Security study revealed that the TSA failed to detect weapons and firearms a shocking 95 percent of the time, the agency adopted a much more invasive procedure, warning local law enforcement in 2017 that they might receive phone calls complaining about the “comprehensive” searches before people got used to them. 

Judge Ambro, however, insisted that “the overwhelming majority of [agents] perform their jobs professionally despite far more grumbling than appreciation.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Fliers may have a tough time recovering damages for invasive screenings at U.S. airport security checkpoints, after a federal appeals court on Wednesday said screeners are immune from claims under a federal law governing assaults, false arrests and other abuses. In a 2-1 vote, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners are shielded by government sovereign immunity from liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act because they do not function as “investigative or law enforcement officers.”

SHARE THIS ARTICLE...

Views: 100

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by James Roberts on August 31, 2019 at 7:35pm

Ninth Circuit, or some other court will overturn this.

Comment by Chris of the family Masters on August 31, 2019 at 5:10pm
"(TSA) screeners are shielded by government sovereign immunity from liability" - Last time I checked, foreign company cannot claim sovereign immunity whatsoever.

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted blog posts
yesterday
Doc Vega's 7 blog posts were featured
yesterday
tjdavis's blog post was featured
yesterday
Burbia's blog post was featured
yesterday
cheeki kea's blog post was featured
yesterday
Less Prone posted a video

PFIZER-GATE verdict - A resounding Slap in the Face for Ursula von der Leyen

🇨🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺 | ++ PFIZER-GATE verdict - A resounding slap in the face for EU corruption-president Ursula von der Leyen ++💉💰 1.8 billion doses of corona...
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Strange Horror Story (Told in First Person)

 It was 3 AM and I was just getting off work. Owning a small service business, I worked commercial…See More
Saturday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post If History is Ever Portrayed as It Really Happened
"Most likely one of their many butt buddies! "
Saturday
Burbia posted a blog post

James Comey appears to call for the assassination of President Trump

I'm sure these are the kind of shells Comey is implying here. …See More
Friday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Thursday
rlionhearted_3 commented on Doc Vega's blog post If History is Ever Portrayed as It Really Happened
"The “white dude in the center” is Bill Gates. People been planning shit for generations."
Thursday
rlionhearted_3 favorited Doc Vega's blog post If History is Ever Portrayed as It Really Happened
Thursday
Burbia posted videos
Thursday
Doc Vega commented on tjdavis's blog post The Dems Love Their Demons
"Gruesome AI romance photography! "
May 14
Doc Vega favorited tjdavis's blog post The Dems Love Their Demons
May 14
rlionhearted_3 posted a photo
May 14
Doc Vega posted blog posts
May 14
cheeki kea commented on tjdavis's photo
May 14
cheeki kea favorited tjdavis's photo
May 14
cheeki kea favorited tjdavis's blog post The Dems Love Their Demons
May 14

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted