The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of police in two cases in which plaintiffs argued that officers used excessive force, overturning lower court rulings that allowed law enforcement to be sued over civil rights complaints. In two unsigned (pdf) opinions (pdf), the Supreme Court argued that police can be shielded from liability—often known as “qualified immunity”—unless it is “clear to a reasonable officer” that their actions are illegal. Specifically, the court ruled in two cases in Oklahoma and California that officers are entitled to qualified immunity, which is a legal doctrine that shields police against civil lawsuits while they’re doing their jobs. The Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that found a California officer who had placed his knee on a suspect could face lawsuits. Previously, a lower court decision denied a request from Union City officer Daniel Rivas-Villegas for qualified immunity Meanwhile, in the Oklahoma case, …