Constitutional Challenge, Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Search and Seizure, Sec. 1983

US 5th Circuit held officer entitled to qualified immunity due to suspects resisting placement in vehicle

Craig, et al. v. Martin, 19-10013, (5th Cir. Feb. 15, 2022) Special guest author: Joshua Galicia, Law Offices of Ryan Henry, PLLC This Fifth Circuit appeal stems from a series of §1983 claims, all of which were dismissed under the appellant’s motion
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Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Sec. 1983

Fifth Circuit holds that there is no per se rule permitting pressure placed on a resisting suspect’s back and that reasonableness of use of force can change in a single interaction

Vicki Timpa, et al. v. Dustin Dillard, et al., 20-10876, 2021 WL 5915553 (5th Cir. Dec. 15, 2021) Special guest author Joshua Galicia This is a §1983 excessive force and bystander liability case appealed from the District Court of the Northern District
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Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Procedure, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

14th Court of Appeals holds officer was not entitled to official immunity – proper focus is on the actions which caused the plaintiff’s injury, not on the overall investigation the officer was performing

Nicholas Hulick v. City of Houston, 14-20-00424-CV  (Tex. App. Houston [14th Dist.], Feb. 1, 2022) This is a Texas Tort Claims Act (“TTCA”)/ vehicle accident case where the Fourteenth District reversed the granting of the City’s plea to the jurisdiction based on
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Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Procedure, Search and Seizure, Sec. 1983, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Pro se appellant could not prevail on summary judgment appeal when he failed to appeal each ground for summary judgment.

   Special contributing author Laura Mueller, City Attorney for Dripping Springs Elezar Balli v. Officer Florentino Martinez, et al., No. 14-20-00030-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] August 10, 2021) (mem. op.). In this appeal from a trial court’s summary judgment in favor of
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Constitutional Challenge, Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Sec. 1983, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Eastland Court of Appeals holds deputies entitled to qualified immunity after takedown broke suspects jaw as video did not show constitutional level violations

Peter Klassen v. Gaines County, Texas, and Gaines County Deputy Sheriffs Ken Ketron and Clint Low, 11-19-00266-CV (Tex.App.—Eastland July 15, 2021) This is an excessive force/§1983 case where the Eastland Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s granting of the County’s and
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Constitutional Challenge, Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Sec. 1983

U.S. Supreme Court holds officers “seized” suspect by shooting her even if the suspect was still able to flee and escape.

Torres v Madrid, et al., No. 19–292. (U.S. March 25, 2021) This is an excessive force/§1983 case where the U.S. Supreme Court held the proper inquiry into a “seizure” by excessive force (i.e. gunshots) is whether the challenged conduct objectively manifests an
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Constitutional Challenge, Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Sec. 1983, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Beaumont Court of Appeals holds City is not liable for alleged failure to create a police report, failure to investigate, or failure to prosecute as asserted by Plaintiff

Caryn Suzann Cain v. City of Conroe, Tex., et al., 09-19-00246-CV, 2020 WL 6929401 (Tex. App.—Beaumont Nov. 25, 2020)  This is an interlocutory appeal from the trial court’s order granting the City’s motion to dismiss, plea to the jurisdiction, and traditional motion
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Litigation, Official/Qualified Immunity, Sovereign Immunity, TTCA

Beaumont Court of Appeals held Plaintiff failed to overcome emergency responder exception under Texas Tort Claim Act in vehicle accident case

Texas Dept. of Pub. Safety v. Kendziora, 09-19-00432-CV (Tex.App.—Beaumont, Nov. 5, 2020) This is an interlocutory appeal from the denial of Texas DPS’s plea to the jurisdiction in a case involving a car accident while a DPS trooper (“Chapman”) was responding to
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