No. 19-7701October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 5, 2026
Kerns v. Wenner
The Court declined review, so the Ninth Circuit's qualified-immunity decision for the respondents remains in place.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court denied review, leaving in place the Ninth Circuit’s decision affirming summary judgment for the respondents based on qualified immunity. The case concerned whether the lower courts wrongly concluded that the respondents could not be held liable because the relevant legal right was not clearly established.
Question presented
Whether the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in affirming the District Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the Respondents on the basis of qualified immunity?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, so the Ninth Circuit's qualified-immunity decision for the respondents remains in place.
Impact
The lower-court result remains in effect for the people in this case. For example, officials accused of violating a right may avoid liability when that right was not clearly established at the time.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Kerns v. Wenner. It did not decide the merits, leaving in place the Ninth Circuit's decision affirming summary judgment for the respondents based on qualified immunity.
Impact
The lower-court result remains in effect for the people in this case. For example, officials accused of violating a right may avoid liability when that right was not clearly established at the time.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action in this docket. The lower-court judgment remains in effect.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Kerns v. Wenner?
The Court declined to review the case and did not decide the merits. The Ninth Circuit's judgment for the respondents remains in place.
Who is affected by the outcome in Kerns v. Wenner?
The parties are directly affected because the respondents' summary-judgment win remains intact. The Court's denial did not change the broader qualified-immunity rules.
What happens next in Kerns v. Wenner?
The Supreme Court has finished its docket action. The case remains governed by the Ninth Circuit's decision.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 5, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Feb 3, 2020 | Court records
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 5, 2026
- Method
- Methodology