Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-01143/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-01143-20/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SYLVIA MAHACH-WATKINS, individually

and as the successor in interest to the Estate of

JOHN JOSEPH WAYNE WATKINS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

LARRY DEPEE and THE STATE OF

CALIFORNIA,

Defendants. /

No. C 05-1143 SI

ADVICE TO COUNSEL RE: DAMAGE

INSTRUCTIONS – DRAFT

A draft of the damage instructions to be given to the jury is attached. 

At the instruction conference, the Court discussed with the parties the scope of damages

available under plaintiff’s Section 1983 claim. That claim, brought by Sylvia Mahach-Watkins as the

successor in interest to the estate of her son, John Watkins, seeks to recover for defendant’s violation

of Watkins' Fourth Amendment rights. The Court has preliminarily determined that the measure of

damages for the Section 1983 claim is, effectively, the same as the measure of damages for the wrongful

death claim brought by plaintiff on her own behalf; the Court therefore plans to provide one general

damage instruction.

 The Ninth Circuit has not addressed the question of what damages are available under a Section

1983 excessive force/wrongful death claim. This Court agrees with the reasoning of Judge Chesney in

Wilkins v. City of Oakland, C 01-1402 MMC. In that case, Judge Chesney held that in excessive force

cases resulting in death, limiting the damages to those contained in the California survival statute would

essentially limit damages to punitive damages, and would be inconsistent with the deterrence policy

underlying Section 1983. In such cases, Judge Chesney held, the proper remedy is to allow for the

recovery of the types of damages available under both the California survival and wrongful death

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United States District Court

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statutes. These statutes do not authorize the recovery of pain and suffering damages, nor do they permit

recovery of damages related to the decedent's loss of enjoyment of life. 

In this case, plaintiff is already seeking wrongful death damages under the state law claim.

Accordingly, the Court intends to give one instruction on the damages available under the Section 1983

and the state law wrongful death claim. 

Plaintiff also seeks recovery for, inter alia, the loss of enjoyment of life and the pain and

suffering experienced by Watkins prior to his death. Based on the analysis outlined above, such

damages are not available. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 8, 2007

_____________________________

SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge 

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SYLVIA MAHACH-WATKINS, 

Plaintiff,

 v.

LARRY DEPEE AND THE STATE OF

CALIFORNIA,

Defendants. /

No. C 05-1143 SI

INSTRUCTIONS TO JURY

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United States District Court

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DUTIES OF JURY TO FIND FACTS AND FOLLOW LAW

Members of the jury, now that you have heard all the evidence and the arguments

of the attorneys concerning damages, it is my duty to instruct you on the law which

applies to damages in this case. A copy of these instructions will be available in the jury

room for you to consult if you find it necessary.

The instructions previously read to you still apply. Again, it is your duty to find the

facts from all the evidence in the case. To those facts you will apply the law as I give it

to you. You must follow the law as I give it to you whether you agree with it or not. You

must not be influenced by any personal likes or dislikes, opinions, prejudices, or

sympathy. That means that you must decide the case solely on the evidence before you.

You must not read into these instructions or into anything the court may have said or done

any suggestion as to what verdict you should return – that is a matter entirely up to you.

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DAMAGES – PROOF

It is the duty of the Court to instruct you about the measure of damages. By

instructing you on damages, the Court does not mean to suggest any view on the jury’s

damages verdict.

The plaintiff has the burden of proving damages by a preponderance of the

evidence. Damages means the amount of money that will reasonably and fairly

compensate the plaintiff for any injury you find was caused by defendant. 

It is for you to determine what damages, if any, have been proved.

Your award must be based upon evidence and not upon speculation, guesswork or

conjecture. In calculating damages, you must not consider, or include as part of your

award, attorney fees or expenses the plaintiff incurred in bringing this lawsuit. These

matters will be decided later by the court.

CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO DAMAGES 

You must decide how much money, if any, will reasonably compensate the

plaintiff Sylvia Mahach-Watkins for the death of John Watkins. This compensation is

called “damages.”

The plaintiff does not have to prove the exact amount of these damages. 

However, you must not speculate or guess in awarding damages.

The damages claimed by the plaintiff fall into two categories called economic

damages and non-economic damages. You will be asked to state the two categories of

damages separately on the verdict form.

Plaintiff Sylvia Mahach-Watkins claims the following economic damages:

1. The financial support, if any, that John Watkins would have contributed to

the family during either the life expectancy that John Watkins had before his death or the life expectancy of Sylvia Mahach-Watkins, whichever is shorter; and

2. The loss of gifts or benefits that the plaintiff would have expected to receive from John Watkins.

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Your award of any future economic damages must be reduced to present cash value, as

explained in a later instruction.

Plaintiff Sylvia Mahach-Watkins also claims, as non-economic damages, the

loss of John Watkins’ love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection,

affection, society, and moral support. No fixed standard exists for deciding the amount

of such non-economic damages. You must use your judgment to decide a reasonable

amount based on the evidence and your common sense. Your award for non-economic

damages should not be reduced to present cash value.

In determining plaintiff Sylvia Mahach-Watkins’ loss, do not consider:

1. The plaintiff’s grief, sorrow, or mental anguish.

2. John Watkins’ pain and suffering; or

3. The poverty or wealth of the plaintiff.

In deciding a person’s life expectancy, you may consider, among other factors,

the average life expectancy of a person of that age, as well as that person’s health,

habits, activities, lifestyle and occupation. According to the National Center for Health

Statistics, the average life expectancy of a 61 year-old female is 22.9 years, and the

average life expectancy of a 40 year-old male is 37.3 years. This published

information is evidence of how long a person is likely to live but is not conclusive. 

Some people live longer and others die sooner.

DISCOUNTING ECONOMIC DAMAGES TO PRESENT CASH VALUE

Any award for future economic damages must be for the present cash value of

those damages. Non-economic damages, such as plaintiff’s loss of John Watkins’

love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, and

moral support, are not reduced to present cash value.

Present cash value means the sum of money needed now, which, when invested

at a reasonable rate of return, will pay future damages at the times and in the amounts

that you find the damages will be incurred or would have been received. A present

value chart will be provided for your assistance.

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The rate of return to be applied in determining present cash value should be the

interest that can reasonably be expected by safe investments that can be made by a

person of ordinary prudence, who has ordinary financial experience and skill. You

should also consider decreases in the value of money which may be caused by future

inflation. 

NOMINAL DAMAGES

The law which applies to this case also authorizes an award of nominal damages. 

If you find that the plaintiff has failed to prove damages as defined in these

instructions, you must award nominal damages. Nominal damages may not exceed one

dollar.

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PUNITIVE DAMAGES

You may, but are not required to, award punitive damages. The purposes of

punitive damages are not to compensate the plaintiff, but to punish a defendant and to

deter a defendant and others from committing similar acts in the future. 

The plaintiff has the burden of providing that punitive damages should be

awarded, and the amount, by a preponderance of the evidence. You may award

punitive damages only if you find that defendant Depee’s conduct was malicious,

oppressive or in reckless disregard of decedent John Watkins’ rights. Conduct is

malicious if it is accompanied by ill will, or spite, or if it is for the purpose of injuring

another. Conduct is in reckless disregard of the decedent’s rights if, under the

circumstances, it reflects complete indifference to the decedent’s safety or rights, or the

defendant acts in the face of a perceived risk that his actions will violate the decedent’s

safety or rights. An act or omission is oppressive if the person who performs it injures

or damages or otherwise violates the rights of the decedent with unnecessary harshness

or severity, such as by the misuse or abuse of authority or power or by the taking

advantage of some weakness or disability or misfortune of the decedent.

If you find that punitive damages are appropriate, you must use reason in setting

the amount. Punitive damages, if any, should be in an amount sufficient to fulfill their

purposes but should not reflect bias, prejudice or sympathy toward any party. In

considering punitive damages, you may consider the degree of reprehensibility of the

defendant’s conduct and the relationship of any award of punitive damages to any

actual harm inflicted on decedent.

Punitive damages may not be awarded against defendant State of California. 

Punitive damages may be awarded even if you award plaintiff only nominal, and not

compensatory, damages.

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COMMUNICATION WITH COURT

If it becomes necessary during your deliberations to communicate with me, you

may send a note through the courtroom deputy, signed by your presiding juror or by

one or more members of the jury. No member of the jury should ever attempt to

communicate with me except by a signed writing; and I will communicate with any

member of the jury on anything concerning the case only in writing, or here in open

court. If you send out a question, I will consult with the parties before answering it,

which may take some time. You may continue your deliberations while waiting for the

answer to any question. Remember that you are not to tell anyone – including me –

how the jury stands, numerically or otherwise, until after you have reached a

unanimous verdict or have been discharged. Do not disclose any vote count in any

note to the court.

RETURN OF VERDICT

A verdict form has been prepared for you. After you have reached unanimous

agreement on a verdict, your presiding juror will fill in the form that has been given to

you, sign and date it, and advise the court that you are ready to return to the courtroom.

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