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PGA Lecture Series: Immunity and the Rule of Law: Should Prosecutors Have Absolute Immunity?

Thursday May 16th 2024 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Chris Shortell Talk Flier
Location
7th Floor Library
Urban Center Building
506 SW Mill Street
Cost / Admission
Free, open to the public
Contact
Politics & Global Affairs department
pga@pdx.edu

Though there has been a lot of attention in recent years on qualified immunity that police officers have from civil suits, prosecutors have an even broader absolute immunity from civil suits. Using a rule of law framework to develop a purposive assessment of the doctrine of prosecutorial immunity, this talk explores both the foundations and the current state of the law when it comes to these types of claims.

Dr. Chris Shortell is an Associate Professor of Politics and Global Affairs at Portland State University. He writes and teaches on the relationship between law and the broader political system, with a particular focus on the interactions between law and society, law and elections, and federalism. Current projects explore the impact of women’s presence on high courts around the world and tensions that exist between doctrines of immunity and the rule of law. His work has been published in journals such as Political Research Quarterly, Gender & Politics, Justice System Journal, Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Election Law Journal, University of Pittsburgh Law Review, and Judicature. He is also the author of Rights, Remedies, and the Impact of State Sovereign Immunity (SUNY Press).