The Supreme Court reviewed a case involving an erroneous F.B.I. raid on the wrong house in Atlanta, where agents forcibly entered the home of Hilliard Toi Cliatt and Curtrina Martin, mistakenly believing it was their target. Despite the plaintiffs losing in lower courts due to government officials' discretionary protections, the Supreme Court seemed poised to remand the case back for further consideration. The justices expressed skepticism over the government's defense that no policy was violated during the raid, with Justice Gorsuch questioning the lack of basic measures like verifying addresses. Frederick Liu, representing the government, argued that agents' decisions were informed by policy considerations and the mistake was reasonable, though this was met with incredulity from justices. The case hinges on interpretations of the Federal Tort Claims Act and whether its provisions apply to such mistaken raids, drawing parallels to past incidents like the Collinsville raid addressed by an amendment in 1974.

In 2017, F.B.I. agents mistakenly raided the home of Hilliard Toi Cliatt and Curtrina Martin in Atlanta, believing it was the target of their warrant, using a battering ram and flash-bang grenade, which led to the couple's traumatic experience.

The Supreme Court case, Martin v. United States, centers around the plaintiffs' unsuccessful lower court claims of false arrest and other grievances, which were dismissed under protections given to government officials acting with discretion.

Justices expressed disbelief at the government's contention that no policies were breached, with Justice Gorsuch highlighting the lack of basic precautions like checking the address before forcibly entering a home.

Frederick Liu, representing the government, argued that the agents' actions involved policy considerations related to public safety and operational security, despite acknowledging the mistake made during the raid.

The case involves legal interpretations of the Federal Tort Claims Act, particularly whether its provisions apply to the Atlanta raid, with historical reference to the Collinsville raid, which led to a 1974 amendment to facilitate lawsuits over similar incidents.