Vol. 33 No. 12 U.S. SUPREME COURT REJECTS NINTH CIRCUIT’S RECOGNITION OF “CLASS-LIKE CLAIMS” IN A NON-CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CONCERNING APPLICATION OF SAFETY RESTRAINTS IN PRE-TRIAL PROCEEDINGS
On May 14, 2018, in the case of United States v. Sanchez-Gomez, 2018 U.S. LEXIS 2804 (U.S. May 14, 2018), the United States Supreme Court held that a challenge to a district-wide policy of using “full restraints”[1] on in-custody criminal defendants was moot because the underlying criminal cases against Respondents had ended. The high court […]
Vol. 33 No. 11 OFFICER IS ENTITLED TO QUALIFIED IMMUNITY WHERE OFFICER’S ACTIONS DO NOT VIOLATE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED RIGHT THAT A REASONABLE OFFICER WOULD HAVE KNOWN
On April 2, 2018, in Kisela v. Hughes, 2018 U.S. LEXIS 2245 (U.S. Apr. 2, 2018), the United States Supreme Court held that, even assuming a Fourth Amendment violation occurred, an officer was entitled to qualified immunity because the situation he faced was far from a case in which any competent officer would have known […]
Vol. 33 No. 10 GUIDED BY U.S. SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT, CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HOLDS THAT COLLECTION OF DNA CHEEK SWAB IS REASONABLE WHEN REQUIRED OF A FELONY ARRESTEE
On April 2, 2018, in the case of People v. Buza, 2018 Cal. LEXIS 2245 (Cal. Apr. 2, 2018), the Supreme Court of California held that the DNA Act of California, which permits law enforcement officials to collect DNA samples from a felony arrestee by means of swabbing the inside of a person’s cheek, was […]
Vol. 33 No. 9 CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL (1st DISTRICT) HOLDS CRIMINAL COURT’S BAIL DECISION UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR FAILING TO ACCOUNT FOR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF PARTICULAR DEFENDANT’S ABILITY TO PAY
On January 25, 2018, the First District, Division One of the California Court of Appeal, issued a published opinion in In re Humphrey, 19 Cal. App. 5th 1006 (2018). The Court of Appeal found error in the Superior Court’s failure to consider an individual defendant’s ability to pay when it fixed bail as to the […]
Vol. 33 No. 8 A DEPUTY WHO POINTED A LOADED GUN AT A SUSPECT’S HEAD USED EXCESSIVE FORCE BUT WAS ENTITLED TO QUALIFIED IMMUNITY
On March 13, 2018, in the case of Thompson v. Rahr, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 6191 (9th Cir. Mar. 13, 2018), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that an officer who pointed a loaded gun at a suspect’s head used excessive force, but was entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not clearly […]
Vol. 33 No. 16 EXISTENCE OF PROBABLE CAUSE DOES NOT PRECLUDE A PLAINTIFF’S FIRST AMENDMENT RETALIATION CLAIM WHERE CITY COUNCIL ARRESTS OUTSPOKEN CRITIC
Does the existence of probable cause defeat a First Amendment claim under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 for retaliatory arrest? On June 18, 2018, in the case of Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach 2018 U.S. LEXIS 3691 (U.S. June 18, 2018), the Supreme Court of the United States held that the existence of probable cause […]
Vol. 33 No. 17 PEACE OFFICERS MUST GENERALLY OBTAIN A WARRANT SUPPORTED BY PROBABLE CAUSE BEFORE OBTAINING HISTORICAL CELL-SITE LOCATION INFORMATION
In the course of executing its various functions, a cell phone continually searches for the best signal and typically connects to the nearest site of radio antennas on towers or other locations, called cell sites. With every connection, a time-stamped record is created. The record generated is called “cell-site location information” or CSLI. This information […]
Vol. 33 No. 18 CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL FINDS THAT GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 7522.72 IS CONSTITUTIONAL
On June 19, 2018, in the case of Hipsher v. Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Assn., 2018 Cal. App. LEXIS 561, the California Court of Appeal held that California Government Code Section 7522.72 was constitutional as applied to the present case, where Hipsher’s vested retirement benefits were reduced due to his gambling conduct which was […]
Vol. 33 No. 27 PLAINTIFF ENTITLED TO NEW TRIAL WHERE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE SHOWS JAIL OFFICIALS NOT ENTITLED TO DEFERENCE BY JURY ON CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT AND EXCESSIVE SEARCH CLAIMS
In a case entitled Shorter v. Baca, (9th Cir. 2018) 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 19491, the Ninth Circuit recently determined that jail officials were not entitled to deference by a jury on their decisions concerning conditions of confinement and excessive search claims. The Court remanded the matter for a new trial. Background Lecia Shorter was […]
Vol. 33 No. 26 WARRANTLESS ENTRY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INTO AN INHABITED DWELLING DEEMED THE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE PLAINTIFFS’ INJURIES SUSTAINED FOLLOWING SHOOTING INCIDENT
On remand from the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held, in Mendez v. Cnty. of L.A., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 20907 (9th Cir. July 27, 2018), that law enforcement officials’ unlawful entry into a residence – absent a warrant, consent, or exigent circumstances – was the proximate cause of the […]