Plain-English summary
Court says one valid charge doesn't automatically defeat a malicious-prosecution claim about a baseless charge
In Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon (23-50), the Supreme Court held that the existence of probable cause for one criminal charge does not automatically bar a Fourth Amendment malicious-prosecution claim about a separate, baseless charge. The Court vacated the Sixth Circuit judgment and remanded for further proceedings consistent with the opinion.
Why this matters
This decision preserves a path for people to seek redress when police or prosecutors press a baseless charge against them as part of multi-count prosecutions. It prevents officers from avoiding liability simply because they included at least one charge supported by probable cause, and it clarifies how courts should assess malicious-prosecution claims tied to specific charges.
Who may feel it
- People accused of crimes in multi-count prosecutions where some charges may be baseless
- Law enforcement officers and prosecutors (defendants in civil suits)
- Civil-rights litigants and lawyers handling malicious-prosecution claims
- State and local governments defending against liability
- Lower courts applying Fourth Amendment malicious-prosecution law
Key questions
- Whether the presence of probable cause for one charge in a multi-count prosecution automatically defeats a Fourth Amendment malicious-prosecution claim about a different, baseless charge.