In Fuhr v. City of Seattle, published May 7, 2026, a divided panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment for a police officer based on qualified immunity. The mother of the decedent’s daughter made a 911 call from a public playfield, reporting that the father of her child (against whom she…
In 3Pak LLC v. City of Seattle, published May 5, 2026, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Washington State law. During the 2020 protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, protestors occupied a…
In Zorn v. Linton, published March 23, 2026, the Supreme Court, in a per curiam opinion, reversed a circuit court decision that itself reversed a district court’s grant of summary judgment. Officers informed protesters engaged in a sit-in at a state capitol that they would be arrested for trespassing. The protesters linked arms and refused…
In Cardenas-Ornelas v. Johnson, published January 29, 2026, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court’s denial of summary judgment based on qualified immunity. The plaintiff claimed that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, prison staff denied him and his unit yard exercise, arguing inability to carry out social…
In Gonzalez v. City of Phoenix, published January 8, 2026, a divided panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision denying summary judgment to the defendant officers on the grounds of qualified immunity. The plaintiffs’ decedent was acting erratically. When two officers chased him on foot, the decedent ran into…
In Case v. Montana, published January 14, 2026, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Montana State Supreme Court. The defendant, the inhabitant of a house, called his ex-girlfriend threatening to commit suicide. When she said she would call the police, he responded that he would shoot them too. Sounds she heard…
In Thompson v. CVSD No 365, published December 29, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for the defendant school district and administrators. The plaintiff was a middle school assistant principal. He posted a comment on Facebook, shared with his Facebook “friends” only, about the Democratic National Convention that used epithets, slurs,…
In Weldeyohannes v. State of Washington, published December 19, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment granted to the state and prison officials. The plaintiff inmate had a documented history of medical accommodation, including use of a wheelchair because of his mobility problems. Medical providers assign inmates transportation codes, ranging from T-1…
In Human Rights Defense Center v. Uttecht, published December 11, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded summary judgment for the defendants. The plaintiff publisher publishes a habeas corpus guide that it distributes to prisoners. The guide contains sample pleadings with party names redacted. The state department…
In Hawatmeh v. City of Henderson, published November 7, 2025, the 9th Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. section 1983. A family’s neighbor invaded the family’s apartment, killed the mother and a housekeeper, shot a daughter multiple times, and then took the 12-year-old son hostage. The man entered the…