Cases

Tim Coates, Alison Turner and Lillie Hsu obtained a unanimous decision from the United States Supreme Court for the County of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County v. Humphries (2010) 562 U.S. 29. In a critical decision for cities and counties, the Supreme Court agreed with Los Angeles County that a municipality cannot be subjected to declaratory or injunctive relief in a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 unless the plaintiff establishes that an injury was inflicted as a result of a policy, custom or practice fairly attributable to the local public entity – the same causation standard that the Supreme Court applies to claims for damages. Mere involvement of a municipal employee is not enough: Relief is not appropriate unless the plaintiff points to some local statute, regulation or widespread practice that local policy makers should know will result in a constitutional violation.

Case Briefs

• Petition for Writ of Certiorari - View Document
• Reply to Brief in Opposition - View Document
• Brief of Petitioner - View Document
• Reply Brief of Petitioner - View Document
• United States Supreme Court Opinion - View Document