Supreme Court Revives FBI Wrong-House Raid Lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously revived a lawsuit by an Atlanta family, led by homeowner Trina Martin, whose home was mistakenly raided by the FBI in 2017 during a search for a suspected gang hideout. During the raid, agents broke into the home, deployed a flashbang grenade, and held Martin's family at gunpoint before realizing their error. Lower courts had dismissed the family's lawsuit against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and the Supremacy Clause, but Justice Neil Gorsuch stated the lower courts misapplied the FTCA’s discretionary-function exception and ordered the 11th Circuit to reconsider the case. The Supreme Court's decision does not guarantee that damages will be awarded, but it sets an important precedent for holding law enforcement accountable in wrong-house raids. Public interest groups from across the political spectrum supported the family's lawsuit, highlighting its nationwide significance for law enforcement accountability. The case now returns to the lower courts for further proceedings.