The Supreme Court has ruled that an independent panel in Miami that investigates claims against officers does not have the authority to subpoena officers.
Thursday's ruling says that state law gives the right to interrogate officers only to the departments where they work. That means the Miami Civilian Investigative Panel can't force officers to testify during complaint reviews.
The case involves a Miami police lieutenant who challenged a subpoena to appear before the panel as it investigated a complaint arising from a traffic stop.
The Miami Police Department had already reviewed the complaint and decided not to discipline the officer.
The independent panel can't discipline officers, but can make recommendations to the department if they find a complaint is justified.