Haley Olson v County of Grant: Salacious Case of Qualified Immunity

Qualified immunity is the legal doctrine that prevents people from suing law enforcement for negligence, even when there is bona fide negligence. Haley Olson v County of Grant is one of those occasional cases highlighting this special status.

Oregon District Court recently upheld Grant County’s immunity for mishandling nude photos of Haley Olson that were obtained by another jurisdiction’s arrest. The Court found a potential 4th Amendment violation but no liability for widely sharing photos of Olson that spread like a wildfire of gossip in eastern Oregon. For more, read the background section of Judge Margaret McKeown’s opinion here.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.