Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-90-01224/USCOURTS-ca10-90-01224-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Brian Anderson
Appellant
Lexington Nebraska County Jail
Appellee
Nebraska State Highway Police
Appellee

Document Text:

..... l li U 

Unit d Statci OJtm of Appe ls 

'tenth Cfrcuit 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT 

ov ~ 9 1990 

BRIAN ANDERSON, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v. 

LEXINGTON NEBRASKA 

COUNTY JAIL, and NEBRASKA 

STATE HIGHWAY POLICE, 

Defendants-Appellees. 

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ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

No. 90-1224 

(D.C. No. 90-A-669) 

(D. Colo.) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

Before ANDERSON, BALDOCK, and EBEL, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. Therefore, the case is ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

Appellant appeals the dismissal of his§ 1983 prose 

complaint against the Lexington Nebraska County Jail and the 

Nebraska State Highway Police. After reviewing the complaint, the 

United States Magistrate recommended that the complaint be 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not 

be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except 

for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of the case, 

res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

Appellate Case: 90-1224 Document: 010110093866 Date Filed: 11/29/1990 Page: 1 
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dismissed against the Nebraska State Highway Police because the 

State of Nebraska is not subject to suit under§ 1983. Will v. 

Michigan Dep't of State Police, u.s. , 109 s.ct. 2304, 

105 L.Ed.2d 45 (1989). The same rule applies to state agencies. 

Florida Dep't of State v. Treasure Salvors, Inc., 458 U.S. 670, 

684 (1982); Alabama v. Pugh, 438 U.S. 781, 782 (1978). The 

magistrate further recommended that the complaint be dismissed as 

to the defendant Lexington Nebraska County Jail because of 

plaintiff's failure to allege a "policy or custom" by the county 

jail which lead to the injury that the plaintiff claims to have 

suffered. Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 

690, 694 (1978). The district court adopted the recommendations 

of the magistrate and dismissed the complaint with prejudice. 

On appeal, the plaintiff asserts that his injuries are not 

moot, but rather are real and continuing. He further alleges that 

"there was no feasibility of res judicata, default judgment, 

laches, or declaratory judgment on my behalf. The dismissal of my 

litigation was not in concert with equity. It only served 

judicial economy." 

Plaintiff misconceives the reasons why his complaint was 

dismissed. It was dismissed against the Nebraska State Highway 

Police because a state agency is not vulnerable to suit under 

§ 1983. It was dismissed against the Lexington Nebraska County 

Jail because a county or municipal entity can only be liable under 

§ 1983 if the alleged wrongdoing is pursuant to a well-established 

policy or custom, and here there were no facts alleged to support 

such a claim. 

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Appellate Case: 90-1224 Document: 010110093866 Date Filed: 11/29/1990 Page: 2 
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Accordingly, for the reasons stated by the magistrate, we 

AFFIRM the district court's order dismissing plaintiff's 

complaint. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

Entered for the Court 

David M. Ebel 

Circuit Judge 

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Appellate Case: 90-1224 Document: 010110093866 Date Filed: 11/29/1990 Page: 3