Davidson v. City of Westminster
Supreme Court of California
649 P.2d 894 (1982)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Yolanda Davidson (plaintiff) was stabbed in a laundromat. In the days prior to the stabbing, three other women had been stabbed in the same laundromat or nearby laundromats. The City of Westminster (City) (defendant) had dispatched two police officers (defendants) to watch the laundromat in question in case the perpetrator returned. The officers saw a man matching the description of the perpetrator enter the laundromat while Davidson was inside. The man entered and left the laundromat several times. The officers did not warn Davidson, and she was eventually stabbed by the man. Davidson brought a negligence suit against the City and the officers for the officers’ failure to warn her of the perpetrator’s presence. The trial court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss, finding that the officers did not have a duty to warn Davidson. Davidson appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Kaus, J.)
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