Navarro v. Block
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
72 F.3d 712 (1995)
- Written by Jamie Milne, JD
Facts
While Maria Navarro was hosting a party in her Los Angeles home, she received a phone call from her brother-in-law warning that her estranged husband, Raymond Navarro, was coming to kill her. Maria promptly called 911, informing the dispatcher of her brother-in-law’s warning, an existing restraining order, and her belief that Raymond might follow through. The dispatcher merely told Maria to phone back if Raymond appeared at the house, claiming that no help could be offered before then. Shortly thereafter, Raymond arrived at the house and killed Maria and four others. Maria’s relatives (the Navarros) (plaintiffs) sued Los Angeles County (the county) and the sheriff who managed 911 calls (defendants). The Navarros filed their claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, arguing, among other things, that the county and sheriff violated the Navarros’ constitutional right to equal protection by treating domestic-violence callers differently from other callers. The district court granted summary judgment in the county and sheriff’s favor. It held that the Navarros’ claim was not viable under § 1983 because there was nothing that would allow a reasonable fact-finder to conclude that the county had a policy of discriminating against domestic-violence callers. The Navarros appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Pregerson, J.)
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