Fourth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity For Fourth Amendment Violation

Avery County, N.C. man registers as a sex offender and communicates regularly with the sheriff to make sure he's complying with registration requirements. Yet, a deputy swears out a warrant and has him arrested—including for the totally made-up crime of leaving the state for 30 days—even though he was following the sheriff's instructions. Yikes! Charges are dropped, and man sues for Fourth Amendment violations. Officers: We got a warrant though. Fourth Circuit: Whatever. You can't tell someone what to do, and when he does it arrest him for willfully violating the law. No qualified immunity.