Lombardo v. Louis
In brief
The Supreme Court refused to hear Lombardo's case, so it did not decide whether the police used excessive force.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · June 30, 2023 · Opinion by Justice Sotomayor
- What it’s about
- This case involves a determination of whether police officers used excessive force when they held a handcuffed and shackled man face down while pressing on his back for 15 minutes until he stopped breathing.
- Who it affects
- The order did not decide whether the officers used excessive force, so neither side won a Supreme Court ruling on that question. The issue remains unanswered by the Court in this case.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The case shows that the Supreme Court can end its review without deciding the underlying police-force dispute.
Question presented
Whether police officers used excessive force when they held a handcuffed and shackled man face down while pressing on his back for 15 minutes until he stopped breathing.
What the Court decided
Holding
Petition DENIED. Justice Jackson would grant the petition for a writ of certiorari. Justice Sotomayor, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion )
The vote
- Majority author
- Sonia Sotomayor
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished this docket action. The record does not identify what happens next in the lower courts.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Opinion added: Lombardo
Opinion added: Opinion
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Brief added: Petition
Court Order added: Lower Court Orders/Opinions
More questions
- What did the Supreme Court do in Lombardo v. St. Louis?
- It denied the petition (refused to hear the case), so it did not decide whether the officers used excessive force.
- Did the Court decide whether the officers used excessive force?
- No. The Court did not decide whether the officers used excessive force in holding the man face down.
- Who disagreed with refusing to hear Lombardo v. St. Louis?
- Justice Sotomayor disagreed with the refusal to hear it; Justice Jackson would have agreed to hear the case.
- What happens next in Lombardo v. St. Louis?
- The Supreme Court's docket action is finished. The record does not identify what happens next in the lower courts.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.