Supreme Court Revives Villarreal's Case Against Police

The U.S. Supreme Court has revived the lawsuit of Priscilla Villarreal, a citizen journalist from Laredo, Texas, who was arrested in 2017 for seeking non-public information from police sources. The Court overturned a previous ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that granted qualified immunity to the officials involved, allowing Villarreal to proceed with her case against them. Major media organizations, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, have supported her, arguing that her arrest undermines journalistic freedoms. Villarreal's case centers around her reports on local crime and government accountability, which she disseminates to over 200,000 followers on Facebook. The Supreme Court's decision signals a potential shift in how qualified immunity is applied, particularly in cases involving journalists. Villarreal expressed gratitude for the ruling, viewing it as a crucial step toward rectifying the injustices she has faced since her arrest.