Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_07-cv-00189/USCOURTS-ared-3_07-cv-00189-2/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

JONESBORO DIVISION

DEBRA FARROW and ROBIN PERKINS, PLAINTIFFS

both individually and as Co-Administrators of

the ESTATE OF DEAUNTE FARROW

v. NO. 3:07CV00189 JLH

ERIK SAMMIS, individually and in his official

capacity as an officer of the West Memphis Police

Department; JIMMY EVANS, individually and in his

official capacity as an officer of the West Memphis

Police Department; WILLIAM JOHNSON, individually

and in his official capacity as Mayor of the City of

West Memphis; ROBERT PAUDERT, individually and

in his official capacity as Chief of Police for the West

Memphis Police Department; the CITY OF WEST

MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS; and STEEPLE CHASE APARTMENTS DEFENDANTS

ORDER

The defendants have moved to dismiss the official capacity claims against the defendants

on the ground that those claims are redundant inasmuch as they are nothing more than claims against

the City, which is named as a defendant. While some district courts have dismissed official capacity

claims when the governmental entity is a named defendant, others have not. Compare Hart v. Baca,

2002 WL 368529, at *2 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 26, 2002) (declining to dismiss the official capacity claim

as redundant because “the plaintiff is master of his complaint”) with Luke v. Abbott, 954 F. Supp.

202, 204 (C.D. Cal. 1997). Absent any circuit court authority, the Court declines to dismiss the

official capacity claims because the plaintiff is the master of his complaint. The motion to dismiss

is DENIED. Document #22.

IT IS SO ORDERED this 25th day of February, 2008.

 

J. LEON HOLMES

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:07-cv-00189-BSM Document 33 Filed 02/25/08 Page 1 of 1