Martin vs. United States: Supreme Court To Review Federal Court Ruling Blocking Woman’s Lawsuit Over Wrongful FBI Raid

The Supreme Court will evaluate a part of the federal court's ruling that bars Martin and Cliatt from suing under a different avenue.

A 2017 FBI raid on a Georgia family’s home sparked a case that is now headed to the Supreme Court after agents barged into the wrong residence and held an innocent person at gunpoint.

It was October 2017 when FBI agents tore the doors off of Curtrina Martin’s home and handcuffed her then-fiancé, Toi Cliatt, at gunpoint inside her bedroom. According to Reason, Martin’s house was the wrong address, and her partner was not the man FBI agents were looking for. The raid was reportedly intended for Joseph Riley, a man who lived in a home one block away from Martin. In the case, Martin v. United States, the Supreme Court is evaluating a part of a federal court’s decision to bar Martin from her attempt to sue the government for the wrongful raid.

A ruling by the 11th Circuit stated the two houses “share several conspicuous features,” including their beige color and similar positioning of a large tree in the front. Raid leader Lawrence Guerra received immunity as judges stated it was difficult for FBI agents to “ascertain the house numbers on the mailboxes” due to how dark it was outside.

The federal court also blocked Martin and Cliatt’s attempt to sue under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which, according to The House, permits individuals to sue the U.S. government in a federal court for certain injuries or damages due to negligent or wrongful acts caused by federal employees. The 11th Circuit ruled that since the FBI had “discretion” in its preparation to carry out warrants, “some nexus with furthering federal policy,” and could “reasonably be characterized as complying with the full range of federal law,” Martin and Cliatt could not proceed with their claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Although the Supreme Court will not reconsider the federal court’s conclusion, it will evaluate the part of the ruling that prevents Martin and Cliatt from pursuing a different possibility of obtaining legal assistance under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

In a Sept. 2024 YouTube video posted by the Institute for Justice, the family recalls the moments of the startling raid.