Texas Cop Chases Prostitution Suspect, Causes Car Accident, Gets Immunity |
Police
Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 1.8.2025 11:15 AM
Houston police officer Ricardo Corral is not legally liable for crashing his police cruiser into another vehicle, the Texas Supreme Court ruled last week. After all, he was in hot pursuit of someone apparently considered a dangerous villain: an adult man who sought to pay a consenting adult woman for sex.
During a prostitution sting in 2019, Corral "made a wide turn from the middle lane," per Houston Public Media. He subsequently crashed into a truck containing two passengers, including driver Ruben Rodriguez.
Rodriguez sued, alleging both he and his passenger suffered injuries for which Corral should be held liable.
Now the Texas Supreme Court has dismissed the case, saying Corral is protected by "official immunity," a "common-law affirmative defense" under which authorities are shielded from legal repercussions for actions performed "in good faith" and "within the scope of their authority."
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Elizabeth Nolan Brown is a senior editor at Reason.
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