Calls to End Qualified Immunity Boosted by Chauvin’s Conviction

The rarity of former cop Derek Chauvin’s conviction for murdering George Floyd is reinvigorating policing-reform advocates to press states and local governments to break down a legal shield protecting officers from lawsuits for all but the grossest excesses of authority.

The wave of social justice protests that grew out of police killings like Floyd’s spurred new calls to scrap or severely limit the doctrine known as qualified immunity. Colorado last June became the first state to abolish qualified immunity while New Mexico became the most recent state to outlaw the defense this month. Connecticut has also taken steps to limit ...