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 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 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…
In County of Los Angeles v. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, published October 23, 2025, the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 8 affirmed summary judgment in one consolidated appeal, and dismissal on demurrer in another. The plaintiff county filed a writ petition against its sheriff. Its county counsel sent the sheriff a letter…
In King v. Villegas, published October 20, 2025, a divided panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s dismissal of a state prisoner’s 42 U.S.C. section 1983 suit. The plaintiff was involved in a physical altercation with two corrections officers. His version of events and the officers’ versions were completely different.…
In St. Clair v. County of Okanogan, published September 23, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed dismissal of a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 case at the pleading stage. The plaintiff alleged that a defendant sheriff’s deputy and detective took advantage of the plaintiff’s drug addiction and involvement in criminal activity to coerce her…
In Jones v. City of North Las Vegas, published September 8, 2025, the 9th Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part summary judgment for the defendant city and two of its officers. While responding to a domestic violence call, one of the responding officers saw a person flee over the wall to the south…