Police officers are protected from being sued for civil rights violations under Section 1983 by the doctrine of qualified immunity. Decided April 11, 1967 (argued January 11, 1967). Opinion of the Court: Earl Warren → go there Dissenting: Douglas. Topic: Immunity from civil rights violations. Pierson v. Ray, 386 U.S. 547 (1967), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court first introduced the justification for qualified immunity for police officers from being sued for civil rights violations under Section 1983, by arguing that "[a] policeman's lot is not so unhappy that he must choose between being charged with dereliction of duty if he does not arrest when he had probable cause, and being mulcted in damages if he does." Wiki link