The Supreme Court rejected Michael Cohen’s attempt to revive a civil rights claim against Donald Trump, stating that Cohen could not pursue his allegation that Trump and other officials violated his rights by putting him in solitary confinement for writing a tell-all book. Cohen was serving a three-year sentence for charges related to his work for Trump, and was placed in solitary confinement after refusing to sign a form preventing him from speaking to the press or on social media. He sued Trump and other officials, but lower court rulings cited a Supreme Court precedent that made it almost impossible to bring civil rights claims against individual federal officials. The 2022 Egbert v. Boule ruling effectively put “Bivens claims” on life support, leading to the dismissal of Cohen’s claims. This ruling has been cited by lower court judges in numerous cases involving allegedly unconstitutional conduct. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling was highlighted by a federal judge in New York and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals when throwing out Cohen’s claims. Cohen warned that if Trump is elected to a second term, he may continue to target individuals, but his claims against Trump and other officials were ultimately dismissed due to legal precedent.
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