No. 25-297October Term 2025Decided Mar 23, 2026
Zorn v. Linton
The Court held that a Vermont state police sergeant was entitled to qualified immunity after using a wristlock to remove a protester who refused to leave the state capitol during a sit-in.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Mar 23, 2026
- What it's about
The Court held that a Vermont state police sergeant was entitled to qualified immunity after using a wristlock to remove a protester who refused to leave the state capitol during a sit-in. The case concerns whether the officer could be sued for excessive force when prior case law had not clearly established that this specific conduct violated the Fourth Amendment.
Question presented
Whether the Second Circuit’s qualified immunity analysis conflicts with this Court’s repeated instruction that courts must define rights with specificity and look for close factual analogues in determining whether a Fourth Amendment right is clearly established.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / Decision released Mar 23, 2026
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jun 15, 2026
- Method
- Methodology