In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has given an Atlanta family a second chance to pursue their lawsuit against the FBI. The family’s home was mistakenly raided by federal officers, resulting in property damage and assault.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, authoring the opinion, highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and its applicability in cases of wrongful home raids. While acknowledging that the FTCA allows some suits for such incidents, the court found the Act’s scope far from clear.

Gorsuch wrote, “All agree that the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) permits some suits for wrong-house raids, but the scope of the Act’s permission is much less clear.” The ruling centers on two key questions regarding the FTCA: the extent of the government’s waiver of sovereign immunity in these situations, and what defenses the United States can legitimately raise.

This landmark decision opens the door for the family to proceed with their case, potentially setting a significant precedent for future cases involving wrongful raids and government liability. The specifics of the case and the family’s potential for compensation remain to be seen, but the Supreme Court’s ruling marks a crucial victory in their fight for justice.