Opinion ID: 78253
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Were these rights Clearly Established?

Text: Although Amnesty alleged violations of its constitutional rights, Defendants will still be entitled to qualified immunity unless those rights were clearly established at the time the violations took place. Andujar v. Rodriguez, 486 F.3d 1199, 1202-03 (11th Cir.2007). Under this analysis, we evaluate whether the right was sufficiently clear that a reasonable official would understand that what he is doing violates that right. Saucier, 533 U.S. at 202, 121 S.Ct. 2151 (quoting Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 640, 107 S.Ct. 3034, 97 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987)). In this Circuit, only the caselaw of the Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit or the law of the highest court of the state where the events took place  in this case, Florida  can clearly establish constitutional rights. Marsh v. Butler County, Ala., 268 F.3d 1014, 1032 n. 10 (11th Cir.2001). Supreme Court caselaw makes clear that the First Amendment right to distribute pamphlets was clearly established prior to November 2003. Hill v. Colorado, 530 U.S. at 715, 120 S.Ct. 2480; Organization for a Better Austin, 402 U.S. at 419, 91 S.Ct. 1575 (1971). Thus, at this stage in litigation, Defendants are not entitled to qualified immunity on Amnesty's claim that its right to distribute leaflets was violated. It is a closer question whether Amnesty's right to have an audience and be heard at its demonstration was clearly established. All of the caselaw cited above, with the exception of Citizens for Peace in Space, is good authority that predates the November 20, 2003 incident. Saia, 334 U.S. 558, 68 S.Ct. 1148, 92 L.Ed. 1574 (1948); Warner Cable Commc'ns, 911 F.2d 634 (11th Cir.1990); Ward, 491 U.S. 781, 109 S.Ct. 2746 (1989). [9] None of these cases, however, are on all fours with the instant case, and do not clearly elucidate the fact-specific rule that police may not create a police cordon that makes a protest rally totally ineffective. Prior cases clearly establishing the constitutional violation, however, need not be materially similar to the present circumstances so long as the right is sufficiently clear that a reasonable official would understand that what he is doing violates that right. Hope v. Pelzer, 536 U.S. 730, 739, 122 S.Ct. 2508, 153 L.Ed.2d 666 (2002). There need not, however, be a prior case wherein the very action in question has previously been held unlawful. Id. at 741, 122 S.Ct. 2508 (quoting Anderson, 483 U.S. at 640, 107 S.Ct. 3034). Here, Defendants had fair warning that Amnesty had a clearly established right to assemble, to protest, and to be heard while doing so. Because Amnesty alleges violations of its clearly established constitutional rights, we hold that the district court erred in concluding that Defendants were entitled to qualified immunity based on the allegations contained in the complaint.