Opinion ID: 2972579
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: standard of review

Text: Qualified immunity is not merely a defense to be raised in response to a plaintiff’s claims. Rather, where it applies, qualified immunity shields government officials from enduring a lawsuit 11 No. 03-2446 / 03-2461 in the first instance. Thus, when the district court rejects an official’s assertion of qualified immunity, it makes a purely legal determination, which we review de novo. See Solomon v. Auburn Hills Police Dept., 389 F.3d 167, 172 (6th Cir. 2004); Scott v. Churchill, 377 F.3d 565, 569 (6th Cir. 2004); Tucker v. City of Richmond, Ky., 388 F.3d 216, 219 (6th Cir. 2004); Virgili v. Gilbert, 272 F.3d 391, 392 (6th Cir. 2001).