This article examines the legal and policy implications of the recent Supreme Court decision on police pursuits in County of Sacramento v. Lewis. It explores the concept of civil liability for pursuit-related injuries under federallaw, provides a detailed analysis of the Lewis decision, and helps explain why the Supreme Court ruled as it did in the case. The article also discusses police liability for pursuit-related injuries under state law and questions whether current legal doctrine denies citizens injured as the result of police pursuits a forum for their claims.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alpert, G.P., & Clarke, A. (1998). County of Sacramento v. Lewis: Its impact and unresolved issues Police Forum, 8, 1-9.
2.
Alpert, G.P., Clarke, A., & Smith, W. (1997). The constitutional implications of high-speed police pursuits under a substantive due process analysis: Homeward through the hazeUniversity of Memphis Law Review, 27, 599-662.
3.
Antieau, C. (1993). Modem constitutional lawSt. Paul, MN: West.
4.
Aten v. City of Tucson, 817 P.2d 951 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1991).
5.
Blair v. City of Rainbow, 542 So.2d 275 (Ala. 1989).
6.
Board of the County Commissioners v. Brown, 117 S. Ct. 1382 (1997).
7.
Boyer v. State, 594 A.2d 121 (Md. 1991).
8.
Breck v. Cortez, 490 N.E.2d 88 (Ill. App. Ct. 1986).
9.
Brower v. County of Inyo, 489 U.S. 593 (1989).
10.
California v. Hodari D, 499 U.S. 621 (1991).
11.
City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378 (1989).
12.
City of Los Angeles v. Heller, 475 U.S. 796 (1986).
13.
Civil actions against state and local government, its divisions, agencies, and officers (2nd ed.). (1992 ). New York: Shepard's/McGraw-Hill .
14.
Colby v. Boyden, 400 S.E.2d 184 (Va. 1991).
15.
Collins v. City of Harker Heights, 503 U.S. 115 (1992).
16.
County of Sacramento v. Lewis, 118 S. Ct. 1708 (1998).
17.
Daniels v. Williams, 474 U.S. 327 (1986).
18.
Elder v. Holloway, 510 U.S. 510 (1994).
19.
Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976).
20.
Fagan v. City of Vineland, 22 F. 3d 1296 (3d Cir. 1994)(en banc).
21.
Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825 (1994).
22.
Fontana, V. (1996). Municipal liability: Law & practice (Vol. 1). New York: Wiley.
23.
Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965).
24.
Haggard v. City of Richmond, 200 S.E.2d 610 (Va. 1939).
25.
Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800 (1982).
26.
Heider v. Clemons, 400 S.E.2d 190 (Va. 1991).
27.
Hildebrandt v. City of Fairbanks, 957 P.2d 974 (Alaska 1998).
28.
Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1 (1992).
29.
In re Henderson, 571 N.W.2d 34 (Mich. Ct. App. 1997).
30.
Jett v. Dallas Independent School District, 491 U.S. 701 (1989).
31.
Keeton, W.P., Dobbs, D., Keeton, R., & Owen, D. (1984). Prosser & Keeton on the Law of Torts (5th ed.). St. Paul, MN: West.
32.
Lewis v. County of Sacramento, 98 F.3d 434 (9th Cir. 1996), overruled by County of Sacramento v. Lewis, 118 S. Ct. 1708 (1998).
33.
L. W. v. Grubbs, 92 F.3d 894 (9th Cir. 1996).
34.
Madison v. Weldon, 446 So.2d 21 (Ala. 1984).
35.
Mitchell v. State, 108 A.2d 1033 (N.Y. 1985).
36.
Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658 (1978).
37.
Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167 (1961).
38.
Morris v. Leaf, 534 N.W.2d 388 (Iowa 1995).
39.
Pembauer v. City of Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469 (1986).
40.
Rochin v. California, 342 U.S. 165 (1952).
41.
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).
42.
Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232 (1974).
43.
Shaw v. Stroud, 13 F.3d 791 (4th Cir. 1994).
44.
Smith, M.R. (1995). Law enforcement liability under section 1983Criminal Law Bulletin, 31, 128-151.
45.
Street, H. (1953). Governmental liabilityCambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
46.
Temkin v. Frederick County Commissioners, 945 F.2d 716 (4th Cir. 1991).
47.
Thompson v. Boggs, 33 F.3d 847 (7th Cir. 1994).
48.
United States v. Hutchins, 268 F.2d 69 (6th Cir. 1959).
49.
Weinberg, L. (1991). The Monroe mystery solved: Beyond the "unhappy history" theory of civil rights litigationBrigham Young University Law Review, 1991, 737-784.
