Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00115/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00115-10/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1983 Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PATRICK WAYNE SOLOMON,

Plaintiff,

v.

OFFICER J. HERMINGHAUS,

Defendant.

No. 2:13-cv-00115-GEB-CKD 

PROPOSED REVISED CLOSING 

INSTRUCTION NO. 6

Attached is the Court‟s revised closing jury 

instruction No. 6, which concerns the law governing Plaintiff‟s 

excessive force claim. 

The following language has been stricken from the list 

of factors the jury is to consider in determining whether 

Defendant used excessive force since Plaintiff has not shown its 

need in light of the trial record and the remainder of the 

instruction: “The availability of alternative methods.” See, 

e.g., Brewer v. City of Napa, 210 F.3d 1093, 1097 (9th Cir. 2000)

(affirming the district court‟s decision not to instruct the jury 

“to consider „alternative courses of action‟ available to 

officers in evaluating whether [the plaintiff] was the victim of 

excessive force”). 

///

Case 2:13-cv-00115-GEB-CKD Document 92 Filed 01/21/15 Page 1 of 4
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Also, the last paragraph of the same instruction has 

been stricken since the remainder of the instruction “fairly and 

adequately covers the issues presented.” Clem v. Lomeli, 566 F.3d 

1177, 1181 (9th Cir. 2009).

Dated: January 21, 2015

Case 2:13-cv-00115-GEB-CKD Document 92 Filed 01/21/15 Page 2 of 4
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JURY INSTRUCTION NO. 6 

 Plaintiff alleges Defendant used excessive force 

against him on January 21, 2011, in violation of the Fourth 

Amendment. To prevail on this claim, Plaintiff must prove, by a 

preponderance of the evidence, each of the following elements: 

 First, that Defendant used excessive force during 

Plaintiff’s arrest under all of the circumstances; and 

 Second, that Defendant’s use of excessive force caused 

him harm. 

 In determining whether Defendant used excessive force 

in this case, consider all of the circumstances known to 

Defendant on the scene, including: 

 The severity of the crime or other circumstances to 

which Defendant was responding; 

 Whether Plaintiff posed an immediate threat to the 

safety of Defendant or to others; 

 Whether Plaintiff was actively resisting arrest or 

attempting to evade arrest by flight; 

 The amount of time and any changing circumstances 

during which Defendant had to determine the type and amount of 

force that appeared to be necessary; and 

 The type and amount of force used. 

Case 2:13-cv-00115-GEB-CKD Document 92 Filed 01/21/15 Page 3 of 4
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 Under the Fourth Amendment, a police officer may only 

use such force as is “objectively reasonable” under all of the 

circumstances. In other words, you must judge the reasonableness 

of a particular use of force from the perspective of a 

reasonable officer on the scene and not with the 20/20 vision of 

hindsight. 

 

 

 

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