6 canonical passages across 5 cases, quoted by 72 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna Anchor | green | “a right is clearly established when it is 'sufficiently clear that every reasonable official would have understood that what he is doing violates that right.” | 37 |
| 2 | Rivas-Villegas v. Cortesluna | green | “sufficiently clear that every reasonable official would have understood that what he is doing violates that right.” | 12 |
| 3 | Melanie Kelsay v. Matt Ernst | green | “qualified immunity shields a government official from suit under 1983 if his conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” | 9 |
| 4 | Donald Morgan v. Michael Robinson | green | “qualified immunity analysis requires a two-step inquiry: (1) whether the facts shown by the plaintiff make out a violation of a constitutional or statutory right, and (2) whether that right was clearly established at the time of the defendant's alleged misconduct.” | 8 |
| 5 | Fayette Granda v. City of St. Louis Bettye Battle-Turner, Hon., Individually and in Her Official Capacity With the City of St. Louis | green | “a claim brought against a municipality under 1983 is sustainable only if a constitutional violation has been committed pursuant to an official custom, policy, practice or custom of the city.” | 3 |
| 6 | Jamie Mahn v. Jefferson County | green | “consistently recognized a general rule that, in order for municipal liability to attach, individual liability first must be found on an underlying substantive claim.” | 3 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.