May federal
officials be sued for damages "for the torture of an American citizen on
American soil"?
Padilla torture claim reaches the Supreme Court
The outcome of the case may also affect Padilla's attempt to hold a former high-ranking Justice Department official, John Yoo, legally accountable for what happened to Padilla in captivity -- a case still awaiting a ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court (Padilla, et al., v. Yoo, Circuit docket 09-16478).
