What must a reasonable person have known under qualified immunity?

Under qualified immunity, a reasonable person must have known the established statutory or constitutional rights that apply to the situation at hand. This standard serves to protect government officials from civil liability for actions taken while performing their official duties, as long as the officials did not violate a clearly established right that a reasonable person in their position would have understood.

This principle emphasizes that the focus is not solely on the individual's intentions but rather on whether the conduct violated rights that were already defined in clear terms. Courts assess whether a reasonable officer would have recognized the right in question as established, which involves considering relevant laws and precedents.

In this context, knowing the established rights is crucial because it impacts how officers are held accountable for their actions. If a right was clearly established at the time of the incident, and a reasonable person in a similar position would have recognized this, then qualified immunity may not protect the official from liability. Thus, the understanding of established statutory or constitutional rights is essential for assessing actions under the doctrine of qualified immunity.