An Alabama Senate committee hearing Wednesday on a bill that would enhance immunity protections for law enforcement drew critics who feared the consequences for their communities.
Speakers at the public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee said they feared House Bill 202, sponsored by Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, would allow law enforcement to act with impunity.
“This bill moves the needle to something that could be very dangerous,” said Gida Smith, a Montgomery resident. “A police state seems far away from us, but police states do not happen overnight. They happen in increments, you allow a little of this, you allow a little of that, you exempt people from prosecution, you exempt the president from prosecution.”
The legislation establishes a heightened standard that law enforcement can be held liable for misconduct while performing their duties and allows them a procedural hearing to determine if their actions are within the scope of their duties before a case alleging wrongdoing can move forward.
“Here for me is the core of the bill,” Reynolds, a retired Huntsville law enforcement officer, told the committee before the public hearing. “Law enforcement officers who use force constitutionally while carrying out their duties are immune from prosecution. Law enforcement officers are not immune for any unconstitutional use of force during any execution of duties. If it is unconstitutional, they have no coverage under this piece of legislation.”