This essay from David French in the New York Times touches on issues that form the heart of this case.
Focus on the beginning of the piece, imagining a conversation between Renee Good's family and an attorney. The federal statute he mentions is § 1983; we will discuss in a few weeks the 1971 case (and its later limits). And his theme--we have limited executive accountability--plays out in several other doctrines we will cover. Meanwhile, those who have taken Fed Courts should recognize the supremacy clause immunity that French mentions (and the fact that any state prosecution would take place in federal court).
French also introduces an idea that we touched on a bit in the introductory materials and will return to later: Since the Civil War and Reconstruction, we assume states threaten civil rights and the federal government will protect them. Current events suggest, at least in some places, the opposite is true. But we may lack the legal frameworks to deal with that.
