Qualified immunity serves as an officer's best defense against what?

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects law enforcement officers from being sued for civil damages if their conduct did not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known. This means that if an officer is performing their duties and their actions fall within the scope of their discretion, they can claim qualified immunity as a strong defense against civil suits.

In the context of New Mexico law enforcement, qualified immunity primarily relates to civil lawsuits where a plaintiff alleges that an officer's actions were unlawful. Therefore, the application of qualified immunity is most relevant to civil suits rather than criminal charges, tort claims unrelated to civil rights violations, or internal disciplinary actions, which are governed by different standards and processes.

Thus, when considering the protections afforded under qualified immunity, it is specifically aimed at shielding officers from civil liability, making it their best defense in the context of civil suits.