Police reform bills aim to abolish officers' qualified immunity

Some police reform activists seek the removal of a protection for law enforcement officers who are immune from criminal liability. In a hearing Monday, the House Judiciary Committee heard five police reform bills. Lawmakers are considering a handful of bills that supporters said will reimagine public safety and policing in Maryland. At least one of the bills, the Police Qualified Immunity and Accountability Act, focuses on what's called qualified immunity, which gives officers a legal defense from personal liability for misconduct, and the bill's supporters want to get rid of it.