March 26, 2026
In June 2025, all nine Supreme Court justices voted unanimously that the family is entitled to move forward with the lawsuit.
Atlanta residents Trina Martin and Toi Cliatt are heading back to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in an attempt to hold FBI agents accountable for raiding their former home.
The appearance follows a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reinstated their right to sue the FBI over a “wrong-door” raid in 2017.
The ordeal began in October 2017, when a flash-bang grenade and an FBI tactical team awakened the then-couple. At the time of the raid, both Cliatt and Martin believed they were being robbed. However, they were instead met with FBI agents who smashed down their door and interrogated them at gunpoint. Martin’s son, Gabriel Watson, who was only 7 years old at the time, recounted his terror when he was interrogated at gunpoint.
“They ran in my room, pointing guns at my face,” Watson told Channel 2 Action News.
Only after agents had already entered the home, did they realize the mailbox number did not correspond to the address on the warrant. Though Cliatt and Martin are no longer together, they are united in their quest for justice, Channel 2 Action News reported. The plaintiffs have been fighting for nearly a decade to hold the FBI agents accountable for “personal injuries and property damage” caused by their error.
Historically, federal law enforcement has been protected by a form of immunity. Still, the legal journey of Martin and Cliatt has explored the boundaries of the Supremacy Clause and the Federal Tort Claims Act, which grant the federal government immunity for such errors. Initially, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that constitutional immunity clauses barred the lawsuit, but the family successfully appealed to the nation’s highest court.
In June 2025, all nine Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that the family may move forward with the lawsuit. While plaintiffs cannot pursue legal action against the agency, they can challenge individual FBI agents. Cliatt stated that the legal system had legitimized her claim and that she would continue to pursue the case.
“The highest court in the land sides with you, it lets you know you’re doing the right thing,” Cliatt told the outlet.
Cliatt’s and Martin’s continued efforts to attain justice serve two purposes. If successful, not only will both parties receive personal restitution, they will also set a path forward to challenge historical immunity that often shields federal agents from the consequences of botched raids.
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