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Top US Court: Ashcroft Cannot Be Sued in 2003 Detention Case

   VOA News  May 31, 2011

   The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that former Attorney General John
   Ashcroft cannot be sued for the detention of an American Muslim who was
   held for more than two weeks under a material witness law.
   The justices issued their unanimous opinion Tuesday, saying Ashcroft
   cannot be held personally liable for the arrest of Abdullah al-Kidd in
   2003.
   The court also ruled that Ashcroft, who was attorney general under
   president George W. Bush, did not violate al-Kidd's constitutional
   rights.
   Al-Kidd argued that Ashcroft, following the September 11, 2001 terror
   attacks, aggressively misused a law that allowed officials to arrest
   material witnesses and compel them to testify in court. He said that,
   as a result, Ashcroft bore responsibility for his detention and alleged
   mistreatment.
   Federal agents arrested al-Kidd at a Washington-area airport before his
   flight to Saudi Arabia and held him for 16 days as a material witness.
   The government had said al-Kidd's testimony was needed in the case of a
   Muslim accused of aiding terrorists.
   The Supreme Court ruling supports previous assertions by the Obama
   administration that officials like Ashcroft are immune from civil suits
   in such cases.

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