Supreme Court reverses lower court on qualified immunity for Vermont police sergeant who arrested protester

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a Vermont state police sergeant is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit brought by a protester who said she was injured when an officer used a wristlock to remove her from a sit-in at the state capitol. In an unsigned per curiam opinion, the court reversed the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Zorn v. Linton, holding that existing precedent did not clearly establish that Sgt. Jacob Zorn’s specific conduct violated the Constitution. "The Second Circuit held that Zorn was not entitled to qualified immunity," read the majority ruling – with the three liberal justices dissenting – rejecting excess use of force arguments. "We reverse." The justices said officers are generally shielded from civil liability unless prior case law