Chavez v. Martinez

*763Justice Thomas

announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an opinion.*

This case involves a 42 U. S. C. § 1983 suit arising out of petitioner Ben Chavez’s allegedly coercive interrogation of respondent Oliverio Martinez. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that Chavez was not entitled to a defense of qualified immunity because he violated Martinez’s clearly established constitutional rights. We conclude that Chavez did not deprive Martinez of a constitutional right.

I

On November 28,1997, police officers Maria Peña and Andrew Salinas were near a vacant lot in a…