A federal judge has allowed a disability discrimination lawsuit to proceed against police officers, highlighting an unresolved area of law in the Seventh Circuit. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the Northern District of Illinois stated that while the Seventh Circuit has had opportunities to determine whether Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to police encounters, it has not definitively ruled either way. Instead, the circuit has often resolved similar cases on other grounds.
This decision moves the case forward in a legal landscape where there is still ambiguity regarding the application of disability rights in police situations. For more details on Judge Alonso’s ruling, visit the summary available here.