Political patronage is ingrained in law enforcement, but it conflicts with First Amendment guarantees about holding political opinions and affiliating with political organizations. Thus, lawsuits occur when law enforcement supervisors change the conditions of their subordinates' employment for holding disfavored political beliefs or belonging to a disliked political party. Decisions by the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Courts, and the United States Courts of Appeals have focused on the civil liability of law enforcement supervisors under Section 1983 of the Federal code. The law and decisions indicate the situations where political patronage is generally permissible and situations in which it is generally prohibited. These cases indicate that law enforcement administrators need to be educated about the liability risks of patronage practices. Further research is also recommended. Figure, table, reference notes, list of cases, and 35 references (Author abstract modified)