Derek Chauvin is on trial in Minnesota for murder. The former Minneapolis police officer was videotaped with his knees on the neck and back of George Floyd as he laid face down on a city street with his hands cuffed behind his back. In the wake of nationwide protests after Floydâs at the hands of the police, the doctrine of qualified immunity has come under increasing scrutiny. Qualified immunity shields government officials from liability for their conduct. According to the American Bar Association, Floydâs death, and the national turmoil that followed, made qualified immunity -- a relatively unknown concept -- an issue of national importance.