Sherrilyn Ifill tells Stephen Colbert qualified immunity doctrine must be adjusted as 'it has become distorted'
Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, called the current protests in all 50 states of the US in the wake of George Floyd's passing a "powerful moment." while speaking on the June 18 episode of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'. She also shed light on the importance of police reform, especially on the topic of qualified immunity.
Ifill explained that the work that she does is in the advocacy of civil right moments focuses on "the way the law has to work" to bring about equal rights to everyone. Colbert asked her if the current protests against harsh policing targeting black citizens of the country can be sustained and used to foresee change. Extending support to the Black Lives Matter movement, Ifill said that these protests are connected with those that ensued after the passing of other victims such as Eric Garner, Mike Brown, and Freddie Gray. "There was a pretty sustained kind of moment around police reform in those years," she said. She further stated that the current movement seemed stronger with protests across the country that includes multi-racial and diverse crowds that "are not going away." "Watching a man beg for his life for 8 minutes just shifted something, and now we have to ride the wave of change to sustain that level of outrage and engagement." Ifill stated that the protests are important until "a real infrastructure" is created for lasting change.
The second part of the interview saw Colbert and Ifill speak on the topic of qualified immunity, which many protesters want to see abolished. Ifill, like a few other politicians that have been Colbert's guests, explored the lack of reason for an armed police officer to respond to all 911 calls. Qualified immunity is a defense that police officers can offer when they are sued for the violation of constitutional rights, and Ifill explains how the officers get away with "lack of accountability." "They are able to kill unarmed black people, and suffer no consequences," she said further emphasizing that people are mainly protesting against this regime of immunity. "The doctrine has to be adjusted, it has become so distorted. Overreliance on police gives us a regime that's not working," explained Ifill. She also spoke on the phrase 'defund the police,' explaining that she thinks "the anxiety [that citizens feel] is about the phrase, but actually not anxiety about the concept.”
Besides all the political talk with the current events that's been going on, Colbert's wife Evelyn made an appearance as the duo played a game with Father's Day cards. Fans couldn't get enough of the couple, with one tweeting, "What cute couple! #lssc 5 min plank at 91!? Holy moly!" The fan was referring to the part where Colbert explains that his father-in-law can do a 5-minute plank at the age of 91. "The inadequacy is palpable," he joked. "When Steven goes back to the studio, I'm going to need his wife to be a frequent guest #LSSC," tweeted another fan.
Fans were also excited for Evelyn to be hosting a bit of the show. "This is GREAT! Evie is doing the bit. j'adore @StephenAtHome @colbertlateshow #LSSC," tweeted one fan with another adding, "Evie needs to cohost @colbertlateshow every night. This is not a controversial opinion. #LSSC." The couple's segment was adorable, with Evelyn even gifting her husband a photo of him and their youngest son sitting and talking on a hill. "It shows what a great father you are," she said.
'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' airs weekdays on CBS.