__________ No. 95-3157

__________ Bobby Davis; Lloyd Marlo Davis, * husband of Bobby Davis, * * Plaintiffs - Appellants, * * v. * * Fulton County, Arkansas; Fulton * County Arkansas Quorum Court, * Appeal from the United States individually and as members of * District Court for the the Quorum Court; Paul Martin, * Eastern District of Arkansas individually and as Sheriff of * Fulton County, Arkansas; * * Defendants, * * Charles Bost, individually and * as Deputy Sheriff of Fulton * County, Arkansas; Joann * Cunningham, individually and as * Jailer of Fulton County, * Arkansas; Janella Cantrell, * individually and as Jailer of * Fulton County, Arkansas, * * Defendants - Appellees. *

__________ Submitted: February 12, 1996 Filed: July 26, 1996

__________ Before MAGILL, HEANEY, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.

__________ MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

Bobby Dav is brought this action after she was raped at her place of busi ness by a detainee in the custody of the Fulton County sheriff' s department. She sued the county, the county Quorum

### The Honorable G. Thomas Eisele, United States District 1 

### Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The denial of the claim for loss of consortium is not 2 

### challenged on appeal. In October 1991, Hull pled guilty to aggravated assault and 3 

### was sentenced to five years probation. In December 1991 a petition for revocation of probation was filed based on the new charges of burglary and theft.
2 Court, individual members of the court, and employees of the sheriff' s department under 29 U.S.C. § 1983 and state tort theories. The district court di smissed, for failure to state a claim, her constitutional claims

1 against s everal of the defendants, her state tort claims, and a loss o f consortium claim by her husband, Lloy d Marlo Davis. It later granted the 2 motion of the other d efendants for summary judgment in their favor on her remaining § 1983 clai ms. Davis now appeals from the judgment entered for defendants.

Davis lives in Salem, Arkansas. She and her husband own and operate
a local dairy equipment sales and service store located near the Fulto n County Detention Cent er (FCDC). On May 13, 1992 she was working alone in the store when she was assaulted and raped by Lawrence D. Hull. At that time Hull was a detainee in the custody of the Fulton County Sheriff' s Department. He was being held at the FCDC pendi ng disposition of criminal cha rges of burglary and theft, as well as for a possible violation o f probation related to a prior charge. 3

Hull had been appointed as a trustee by Paul Martin, the Fulto n Coun ty Sheriff. In this capacity he performed various tasks for th e sheriff and jailers. Several of these tasks, such as taking trash to the dumpster or washing cars, involved Hull being ou tside the rear door of the FCDC. The sheriff's department had not received any complaints about Hull working outside, nor had

### The record does not indicate exactly when Hull was 4 

### appointed as a trustee, but there is evidence that he was not new to the position. He had been detained at the FCDC for nearly five months at the time of the attack. Cunningham was an employee of the sheriff's department and 5 

### her duties included acting as jailer and dispatcher. She also cleaned and shopped for supplies. The record is not entirely clear about Roork's role in the 6 

### events or whether Roork could be said to have assumed responsibility for supervising Hull when he directed him to go downstairs. He was never a defendant in this action.
3 Hull caused any problems as a trustee before the attack on Davis. 4

On the mo rning of May 13, 1992 Joann Cunningham, who was the dut y ja iler at the FCDC on that day, asked Deputy Sheriff Charles Bost t o

5 release Hull from his cell to help her unload groceries from her car, whic h
was parke d directly behind the jail. She asked Bost to open the cel l because she was carrying a load of groceries at the time. Bost opene d Hull's cell as instru cted and then left the FCDC to work at his insurance agency. As duty jailer, Cunningham was responsible for supervising Hull while he was out of the cell.
Cunningha m and Hull carried in the groceries together. Afterwards, Hull washe d several cars and took out the trash, which involved bein g outside o f the FCDC building. During this time he was not directl y sup ervised, but was monitored by Cunningham, who made routine checks b y viewing Hull from sec ond story windows in the facility. After taking out the trash, Hull returned to the FCDC and went up stairs to the office. The Salem Police Chief, Albert Roork, told him to go back downstairs, which is where the cell area is located. 6

Hull went downstairs, but instead of returning to his cell, he left the jail facility through an open door. Within a matter of minutes he had walked down the alley to the dairy equipment store,

### 4

assaulted Davis, and returned to the area outside the rear of the jail.

The FCDC is located in a building on the south side of the mai n square in Salem. Other businesses and houses ar e nearby. The Davis store is located on the southwest corner of the square and faces the same street
as the F CDC, but it is several businesses away. The buildings on tha t street have rear doors that open into an alley. The FCDC parking lot is also in t he alley. The record shows that the Davis store entrance i s approxi mately 150 feet from the rear door of the FCDC, and at least 10 0 feet away from the outer perimeter of the FCDC parking area.

After t he attack Davis went to a nearby barbershop, and the barbe r called the sheriff's department. Deputy Bost had returned to the FCDC by this ti me, and he and two other officers went to the barbershop. Davi s reported the rape and identified Hull as the rapist. Hull was charged in state court with rape and first degree battery a nd was convicted of second degree battery.

Davis t hen brought this civil action for damages under 28 U.S.C. § 1983 and various theories of state tort liabilit y. The original complaint
was filed on May 13, 1993 and amended on April 26, 1994. The amende d complaint stated § 1983 claims against Fulton Co unty, Arkansas; the Fulton County Quorum Court and the members of it; Paul Martin, individually and as Sheriff of Fulton County; and Charles Bost, individually and as Deputy Sh eriff of Fulton County. Davis claimed that the actions of th e defendants, including the appointment of trustee s in general, the decision to appoin t Hull as a trustee, and the practice of allowing Hull to b e outs ide of the jail unsupervised, increased her risk of danger, thu s creat ing an affirmative duty to protect her. She also alleged variou s state law tort claims, including battery, assaul t, false imprisonment, and outrage, against each of the defendants.

### The original opinion and order, filed on February 13, 1995, 7 

### was withdrawn by the court on April 28, 1995, and a substituted opinion was filed nunc pro tunc. Janella Cantrell is an employee of the sheriff's department 8 

### and functions as a secretary, dispatcher, jailer, and personnel manager. The record shows that on March 13, 1992, she worked in the front office at the FCDC and had jailer duties that day only if Cunningham was away from the building. Cantrell herself was off duty at the time of the attack on Davis. She had left the building for lunch at noon and returned after Hull had been locked up again.
5 On Februa ry 13, 1995, the district court granted in part and denied in part the defendants' Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss the amende d complain t. It dismissed for failure to state a claim Davis' causes o f 7 action under § 1983 against the county, the Quorum Court, the individual members of the court, Sheriff Martin, in both his official and individual capacities, and Deputy Sheriff Bost, in his official capacity. Th e dis trict court concluded that the general allegations about a policy o r practice relating to trustees at the FCDC did not make out a risk of harm to Davis greater than that faced by members of the general public and was therefore insufficient to state a constitutional claim. It cited Wells v. Walker , 852 F.2d 368 (8th Cir. 1988), cert. denied , 489 U.S. 1012 (1989), and noted that Davis had not alleged that the policy was targeted at her in any w ay. The § 1983 claims against Bost in his individual capacit y survived the motion to dismiss because the complaint alleged a specific ac t (releasing Hull to unload groceries behind the Davis store) that might hav e been said to have exp osed Davis to a unique threat of harm. The district court also dismissed the state law claims against all of the defendants, holding that they were entitled to tort immunity under state law. On May 4, 1995, with permission from the court, Davis filed a second amended complaint. I n it, she restated her § 1983 claim against Bost and added § 1983 claims against two new defendants: Joann Cunningham , individu ally and as Jailer of Fulton County, and Janella Cantrell, 8 individually and as Jailer of Fulton County.

### 6

She alleged that Cunningham had been involved in the decision to release Hull on M ay 13, 1992, and that Cantrell had acquiesced in the decision

. She also asserted state law negligence claims against Bost, Cunningham, an d Cantrell, and she and her husband asserted claims for loss of consortium. On June 14, 1995, the district court granted in part and denied in part th e defendants' 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss the second amended complaint. It dismissed all of the asserted claims except the causes of action under § 1983 against Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell in their individual capacities

.

The parties had also filed cross mot ions for summary judgment on the claims in the second amended complaint, and on July 21, 1995 the district court granted summary judgment in favor of Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell
on the remaining § 1983 claims. It held that Davis had not made a sufficient showing to support her claims that th e defendants had a duty to protect h er in particular from violent acts by Hull. It explained tha t althou gh these allegations in her complaint had been sufficient t o withstand the earlier motion to dismiss, they were not supported by th e facts. Judgment was entered the same day.

On appeal Davis argues that the district court erred in enterin g
summ ary judgment in favor of Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell in thei r individual capacities on her claims under § 1983 , in dismissing her claims against them for negligence, and in dismissing her § 1983 claims against the other defendants.

There is disagreement about which parties are properly before th e court on this appeal. The notice of appeal names only Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell in the caption, but Davis asserts issues in her briefs that relate to other previously dismissed defendants. We will start with the issues that all agree are before the court.
Davis argues that the undisputed facts in the record establish

### 7

that the actions of B ost, Cunningham, and Cantrell on May 13 gave rise to a duty to protect her because they placed her in a position of danger that she would not otherwise have been in that was un ique from the danger posed to the general public. She asserts that their actions were reckless and
a direct cause of Hull's assault. Davis does not claim that there ar e dispute d material facts to be decided by a fact finder on the issues o f lia bility. She claims that she is entitled to summary judgment o n liability and remand for a trial on damages.

Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell respond that summary judgment wa s pro perly entered in their favor. They argue that they had no specia l constitutional duty t o protect her, and that even if such a duty existed, the undisputed facts show that their actions wer e merely negligent and not a basis for constitutional tort liability under § 1983.

Summary judgment is appropriate if there are no disputed issues o f material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). All evidence and inferences must be viewed in the light most fav orable to the non-moving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 250 (1986). The non- moving party, however, may not rest upon mere denials or allegations in the pleadings, but must set forth specific facts sufficient to raise a genuine issue for trial

. Celotex Corp. v. Catr ett , 477 U.S. 317, 324 (1986). We review a grant of summary judgment de novo. Crawford v. Runyon , 37 F.3d 1338, 1340 (8th Cir

. 1994).

Davis's constitutional tort claims are premised on an allege d viol ation of her Fourteenth Amendment rights. She argues that Bost , Cunningham, and Cantrell deprived her of her general liberty interest to be free from unjustif ied physical assaults on her person when they failed to protect her from Hull's violent actions.

### 8 As a general rule, the Fourteenth Am endment does not impose any duty
on states to protect its citizens against violence inflicted by privat e actors. DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dept. of Social Servs. , 489 U.S

. 189, 195-96 (1989). DeShaney recognized an exception to this rule , however. A duty to protect an individual exists where she is in a special custodial or other setting in which the state has limited her ability to care for herself. Id. at 198. In these circums tances an affirmative duty to prot ect arises "not from the State's knowledge of the individual' s predicame nt . . . but from the limitation which it has imposed on hi s freedom to act on his own behalf." Id. at 200. Davis does not claim that she was in any sort of relationship with the def endants, however, nor does she claim that they limited her ability to care for herself.
A duty to protect has also been recognized in the circuit court s when the state affirmatively places a particular individual in a position o f danger that she would not otherwise have faced. Dorothy J. v. Little Rock School Dist. , 7 F.3d 729, 733 (8th Cir. 1993); Gregory v. City of Rogers , 974 F.2d 1006, 1010 ( 8th Cir. 1992) (en banc), cert. denied , 507 U.S. 913 (1993); Wells v. Walker , 852 F.2d 368 (8th Cir. 1988), cert. denied , 489 U.S. 1012 (1989); Freeman v. Ferguson , 911 F.2d 52, 55 (8th Cir. 1990)

. For s uch a duty to arise, the actions of the state must create a uniqu e risk of harm to the plaintiff that is greater than the risk faced by the general public. See Wells , 852 F.2d at 371.
Davis argues that Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell had a constitu tional duty to protect her because they released Hull from his cell, instructed him to perform chores outside, and allowed him to leave the premises of th e FCDC. She claims that the risk to her was uniqu e because of the proximity of her store to the FCDC and her status as an elderly woman.
It is not disputed that the three defendants named in the

### The district court used a two step test to analyze whether 9 

### there was a constitutional duty to protect Davis. It first considered whether the state had taken affirmative acts that increased Davis' risk of harm, and then whether the risk was greater for Davis than for the general public.
9 notice of appeal played differing roles in respect to the events leading to the r ape. The actions allegedly giving rise to the duty to protec t Davis were taken prim arily by Cunningham. Although the record shows that Bost originally unlocked Hull's cell so he might assist in bringing in the groceries, he did so at Cunningham's direction, and as duty jailer she was solely responsible for monitoring Hull while he performed his tasks. Bost was not at the FCDC at the time the rape occurre d and had no obligation to be there. Cantrell was not involved at all with Hull's release o r supervision. She only had jailer duties on May 13, 1992 if Cunningham wer e absent, and there is no allegation that Cunningham left the building that day. Cantrell worked in the front office during the morning and was away at lunch during the t ime of the rape. The undisputed facts in the record do not suggest that Bost or Cantrell could be he ld liable for violation of any a constitutional duty to protect. Summary judgment was properl y entered in their favor.

Whether Cunningham could be held liable for her conduct require s additional analysis. There is no bright line test for when state action
can g ive rise to a particular duty to protect, but the type of factua l 9 situations which may do so is suggested by Wells and Freeman . In Wells , pol ice officers transported a released violent criminal to a store tha t also served as a bus station. They dropped him off to wait for a bus, and he mu rdered the store operator. The plaintiff alleged that the polic e officers took action to provide transportation for the released inmate, an d that that action had the result of "placing [the victim], unlike members of the general public, in a unique, confrontational encounter with a perso n who allegedly had exhibited violent

### Davis also asserts that allowing Hull to wash cars and 10 

### take out the trash were actions giving rise to the duty to protect. It is undisputed that Hull completed these tasks without incident and then reported to Cunningham. Davis points out that Hull was never classified as an 11 

### escapee, but he returned to the FCDC within minutes of leaving and before he was found to be missing.
10 propensities." Wells , 852 F.2d at 371. The cou rt held that the plaintiff had adequately allege d a constitutional right of protection, but that the
case w as properly dismissed because the allegations sounded only i n negli gence. Id. In Freeman , a woman was killed by her husband after a rest raining order had been placed against him. The police chief ha d allegedly instructed other officers not to enforce the order because of hi s friendshi p with the husband. The court stated that such facts could b e sufficient to create a constitutional duty to pr otect and remanded for the filing of an amended complaint. 911 F.2d at 54.
The facts in this case are quite different. Cunningham knew Hu ll had
come in from the parking area and that Roork told him to go downstair s where the cell area w as located. She knew Hull was unsupervised and that it would be possible for him to leave the building. Cunningham did not 10 send him outside again, however. It was Hull who decided to leave th e buildi ng, walk down the alley, enter the store, and assault Davis

.

11 Unlike the situation in Wells , Hull was not take n to or left at the store, and in fact, had not been authorized to leave the premises. Cunningham wa s not aware that Hull had left the FCDC until after the rape was reported. Unlike the allegations in Freeman , there is no allegation here tha t Cunningham interfered with particular measures designed to protect Davis.

Since the complaint alleged that Hull had been instructed to unload groceries and wash cars directly behind the Davis store and entered he r store while so engaged, the district court originally

### 11

denied the motion to dismiss. After the record was developed, the actual sequence of events be came clearer. The evidence showed that the FCDC and the store are on the main square of town surrounded by other businesses an d homes, that Hull was instructed to work only in the area directly behind the FCDC building, and that he had been sent back to his cell area after completing that work. Davis did not show that t he danger to her resulting from Hull leaving the FCDC was any greater than that faced by the general public in the area.
Davis claims that her risk of harm was greater than that faced by the general public because she was an elderly woman and Hull allegedly had a his tory of sexual violence toward elderly women. Hull's prior crimina l record consisted of one assault conviction and charges of theft an d burglary. He had not previously been convicted of a sex crime. Although there is evidence in a police report that the assault for which Hull was
on probation may have involved a threatened rape, there was no evidenc e that Cunningham or the other defendants knew about this. FCDC employees
were aware that several years prior to the Davis rape he had touched the wives of the sheriff and his deputy on the rear, while shopping at th e local grocery store. This showing was insufficient to establish a uniqu e risk of harm to Davis or a special duty to protect her. Davis did not com e forward with sufficient evidence to support an i nference that Cunningham's actions increased the risk to her beyond that faced by other women, that Cunningham knew that Hull posed a special risk to particular women, or tha t they were to be found in the vicinity of the jail.

The situation here resembles Martinez v. State of California , 44 4 U.S. 277, 285 (1980), in that Hull was in "no sense an agent" of defendant s while engaged in the attack and the defendants were "not aware that [Davis ] as distinguished from the public at large,

### In contrast, however, the parole authorities in Martinez 12 

### were "fully informed" about his history of violent sex crimes and the likelihood he would commit another. 444 U.S. at 279. The dissent relies on Nishiyama v. Dickson County Tenn. , 13 

### 814 F.2d 277, 280 (6th Cir. 1987), to suggest that the state's ability to control a trustee can give rise to a constitutional claim. Prison officials in that case allowed a trustee they knew to be violent to run errands unsupervised in a marked patrol car. They were informed that he was using its flashing lights to stop motorists but did nothing about it, and he ultimately murdered a young woman driver. The prison officials effectively "cloth[ed] an inmate with the authority of the state," Nobles v. Brown , 985 F.2d 235, 238 n. 1 (6th Cir. 1992), and the holding of the case is limited to such circumstances. See id. (dismissing § 1983 claim based on rape because prisoner was not acting under color of state law). In this case Hull was never "cloth[ed] . . . with the authority of the state."
12 faced any special danger." The death caused by Ma rtinez after his parole 12 was "too remote a consequence" of the actions by the authorities, id. , and therefore there was no constitutional claim. 13

Davis suffered a violent and tragic interference in her life and her person, and the carelessness that played a role in allowing the crime to
occur is to be deplored. The record was insufficient, however, to make ou t
a co nstitutional duty to protect Davis from Hull's violent acts, an d
ne gligence by state actors could not have deprived her of such a constitutional right. See Wells , 852 F.2d at 371. Negligent, or eve n grossly negligent, co nduct by government officials cannot be the basis of

a constitutional tort claim. Daniels v. Williams , 474 U.S. 327, 330-3 1 (1986); Sellers v. Baer , 28 F.3d 895, 902-03 (1 994), cert. denied , 115 S. Ct. 739 (1995); Myers v. Morris , 810 F.2d 1437, 1468 (8th Cir.), cert
. denie d , 484 U.S. 828 (1987). A lack of due care by an official causin g unintended injury to life, liberty or property does not implicate the due process clause. Daniels , 474 U.S. at 330-31. Davis' claim, tha t Cunninghamunreasonably failed to exercise a duty to supervise Hull t o prevent him from leaving the FCDC and

### 13

harming her, is a claim of negligence.

Davis claims that Cunningham knew Hull had engaged in violent an d sexually deviant behavior in the past and that her knowledge raised he r actions t o the level of recklessness. The record does not support tha t claim, however. Hull had not previously been co nvicted of any sex crimes. Cunn inghamstated at her deposition that she knew that Hull had onc e grabbed a woman's pur se and that he had recently been charged with theft, but she did not know whether any of those crimes were sexually oriented. She was aware that se veral years earlier Hull had inappropriately touched two women while they were grocery shopping. Thi s falls short of a showing that she knew Hull was dangerous for elderly women in particular, and ther e
was no evidence that she even knew of Davis or her presence in the dairy equipm ent store. Davis did not make a showing of recklessness or o f deliberate intent.

To av oid summary judgment Davis was required to come forward wit h evidence supporting h er allegations that the individual defendants should be liable for depriving her of a constitutional right. The record that wa s developed did not sat isfy that burden, and the district court did not err in granting summary judgment in favor of the individual defendants.

Davis also argues that the district court erred in ruling tha t Arkansas law provides Bost, Cunningham and Cantrell with statutory immunit y from tort liability for claims of negligence bro ught against them in their individ ual capacity. The district court dismissed Davis's negligenc e cla ims on the basis that § 21-9-301 of the Arkansas code affords the m immunity for suits ba sed on the negligent performance of official duties, whether the suits are brought against them in th eir official or individual capacity.

Arkansas law supports the district court's ruling. Ark. Code. Ann. § 21-9-301; Cousins v. Dennis , 767 S.W.2d 296 (Ark. 1989);

### The appellees suggest in the alternative that this court 14 

### lacks jurisdiction over the entire appeal because of the insufficient notice, but they provide no legal basis for this theory nor do they explain how the individual defendants were prejudiced in any way.
14 Hardin v. City of Devalls Bluff , 508 S.W.2d 559 (Ark. 1974). Althoug h there are exceptions to the statutory grant of official immunity, they do not apply in this case. A public official is subject to suit for th e commission of an intentional tort, see Battle v. Harris , 766 S.W.2d 43 1 (Ark. 198 9), or for actions taken when the official is not performing a county function. Cou sins v. Dennis , 767 S.W.2d 296 (Ark. 1989); Matthews

v. Marti n , 658 S.W.2d 374, 375 (Ark. 1983). Davis does not claim tha t Bost, Cunningham and Cantrell acted intentionally, and she does not disput e that they were performing official county functions when they took th e actions alleged tortious in this case.

Davis als o argues that the district court erred in dismissing her § 1983 claims against t he county, the quorum court, and Sheriff Martin, and that this court should reach these issues even t hough her notice of appeal identified only Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell as appellees. The appellee s suggest that they were prejudiced by the insufficiency of the notice o f appeal and argue that we should thus consider only the issues related to the individual defendants. 14

Although Rule 3(c) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedur e requ ires that the notice of appeal identify each appellant, and tha t requirement is jurisdictional, Torres v. Oakland Scavenger Co. , 487 U.S. 312, 317- 18 (1988), the rule does not require that the notice of appea l specifically name each appellee. Thomas v. Gunter , 32 F.3d 1258, 1262 (8t h Cir. 1994) . Intended appellees must be provided with notice that th e appeal is being taken, however, see id. , and the failure to list all in th e notice of

### This is not a case in which et al. was used in the caption 15 

### to refer to unnamed defendants. See Thomas , 32 F.3d at 1262 (use of et al. in caption sufficient to include all defendants as appellees). The notice of appeal includes the names Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell, and does not indicate in any way that claims against additional defendants would be raised. The omission of appellees from the notice may be corrected 16 

### by amendment or by letter to opposing counsel. See Chathas v. Smith , 848 F.2d 93 (7th Cir. 1988) (failure to name appellee in notice of appeal was harmless error that could be corrected by letter to omitted appellee's counsel).
15 appeal could suggest abandonment of the claims against them. 15

Her notice of appeal did state that the appeal is from the fina l judgment, and such an appeal permits review of previously entered non-fina l orders that shaped th e scope of the judgment. Berdella v. Delo , 972 F.2d 204, 208 n. 6 (8th Ci r. 1992); see 15 A. Wright, Miller & Cooper, Federal Practi ce & Procedure § 3905.1 (2d ed. 1992). Thus, if the dismisse d defendants had proper notice of the appeal, ther e would be jurisdiction to review the order dismissing the claims against them.

Davis was on notice that the unnamed parties were not considered to be appellees since she used the caption created by the clerk's office on her b riefs. That caption names only Bost, Cunningham, and Cantrell a s appellees

. She did not attempt to contact the clerk to correct th e caption, nor did she attempt to amend the notice of appeal or to contact opposing counsel to clarif y the identity of the appellees. Instead, she 16 attempted to clarify the identity of the parties with a footnote in he r brief suggesting that all of the previous defendants are appellees

. Consideration of issues related to defendants no t named as appellees could in effec t bypass the thirty day time limit for the filing of a notice

. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a). In this case, of course, the defendants were al l represented by the same counsel who

### The file indicates that the appellees' attorney attempted 17 

### to file a notice of appearance on behalf of all the defendants, including the county, the court and the sheriff. The clerk's office notified him that the appearance would be entered only as to Bost, Cunningham and Cantrell because they were the only appellees listed on the notice of appeal. The complaint alleged that the policies and procedures 18 

### relating to the supervision of prisoners were defective, that county authorities had failed properly to evaluate those policies and procedures, and that the Sheriff had abused his position by establishing and using them. She also alleged that the county, the court and the sheriff had failed to establish appropriate and reasonable standards and criteria for the determination and designation of trustees and that they wrongfully allowed Hull to be a trustee.
16 would have been aware of the arguments in her brief. 17

We nee d not decide whether these aspects of her appeal should b e foreclosed, however, because we have considered them and find them to be without me rit. These claims alleged that the general policy of usin g trustees and the practice of allowing them to perform chores outside of th e jail gave rise to a constitutional duty to protect Da vis from harm. They 18

were dismissed by the district court because they failed to allege th e creation of a particularized risk of harm to Davis that was greater than that faced by the rest of the general public, as required by Wells . O n appeal Davis essentially reasserts her allegations that the policy an d practice of having trustees gave her a constitutional right to be protecte d from them and asks for judgment in her favor.
Her complaint suggests that the actions of the county and the e arlier dismissed defendants were ill-advised, but it does not allege that these acts or policies or p ractices affected her in a manner different from the general public, other than that she was the one attacked. Nor does i t allege that any of these defendants should have known that the policy or practice put her in any special danger. The dis trict court did not err in dismissing the claims.

### 17 For the stated reasons, the judgment is affirmed.
HEANEY, Circuit Judge, dissenting.

Lawrence Hull has an extensive hist ory of sexually abusive behavior toward older women. As a trusty at the FCDC, Hull was frequently permitte d to leave the jail unsupervised to perform various tasks for jail personnel

. Bobby Davis co-owns and works in a dairy equipme nt and sales service store located within 100 feet of the perimeter of the parking lot of the jail. Defend ants Charles Bost, Joann Cunningham, and Janella Cantrell knew o f Hull's violent and se xually abusive history. Defendants also knew of the location of Davis' store. The store had been at the same location since 1978, and Hull himself had been in Davis' store and spoken to Davis on two previous occasions. Despite the defendants' knowledge of Hull's history and the store's location, they released Hull to work unsupervised in the jail parking lot. Their actions gave Hull the opportunity to sexuall y assault Davis, who, as an elderly woman working close to the jail, wa s subjected to a greate r risk of harm than the general public. These facts
are sufficient to withstand the defendants' motion for summary judgment. The y support a finding that defendants engaged in reckless state actio n that exposed Davis to a risk of harm greater than that faced by the genera l public. Thus, I respectfully dissent.

At the time Hull attacked Davis, he was in custody at the FCDC

. During Hull's detainment, the FCDC gave him trusty status. As a trusty , Hull spent three or four hours outside of his ce ll each day--often outside th e jail--performing various tasks for Fulton County law enforcemen t per sonnel. Immediately prior to Hull's attack on Davis, FCDC personne l released Hull to unload groceries, wash cars, and take out the trash in th e
area behi nd the FCDC and Davis' store. Hull performed these dutie s unsupervised. Defend ants' understanding was that Hull would "do his jobs and then check back" with them. (Appellant's App. at 343 (Dep. of

### The majority relies of Nobles v. Brown , 985 F.2d 235, 238 1 

### n. 1 (6th Cir. 1992) to suggest that a prisoner must be "cloth[ed] with the authority of the state" in order for her actions to give rise to a constitutional claim. In Nobles , a prison guard was taken hostage and raped by a prisoner. The prison officials allegedly left the prisoner's cell unlocked at a time when it was supposed to be double-locked and failed in their efforts at hostage negotiations. These facts, at most, demonstrated negligence on the part of the officials. In contrast, Hull was deliberately released as a trusty. Under the Regulations of Fulton County Jail a trusty "work[s] for and [is] responsible to the personnel of th[e] facility." (App. at 341). As a trusty working for and reporting to the state , Hull was effectively clothed with the authority of the state in contrast to the prisoner in Nobles, "who had no official authority of any kind." Id. at 238 n. 1. Moreover, it is important to note, Nobles does not establish the "clothed with the authority of the state" test as a required test. Rather, it alternatively concludes that the plaintiff did not demonstrate reckless indifference to a known risk that made it highly probable that harm would follow. Id

. 18 Cunninghamat 7).) Because Hull raped Davis while in the custody of the FCDC and w hile performing his duties as a trusty, Davis has presente d sufficient facts to support a finding of state action on the part of the defendants. As the Sixth Circuit has explicitly recognized, jail official s have a custodial relationship with a trusty, in contrast to release d paro lees or escapees, that provides the officials with the power an d authority to direct and control the trusty's actions. Nishiyama v. Dickso n County Tenn. , 814 F.2d 277, 280 (6th Cir. 1987) (en banc). 1

The majority reasons that the defe ndants took no affirmative state action as required fo r a due process claim because they did not send Hull back outside after he had completed his duties, but rather Hull chose to leave the facility himself. The majority employs an artificially narrow und erstanding of an affirmative course of action by concluding that th e de fendants were relieved from responsibility when Hull completed hi s assigned tasks and re turned to the FCDC. The fact that Hull exceeded the limits of the duties for which he was released d oes not preclude a finding of state action. Rather, the defendants' failure to supervise Hull

### I cannot believe that supervisory personnel of the Fulton 2 

### County Jail were not aware of the facts underlying the aggravated assault. Under the Fulton County Jail Regulations, when an inmate is brought into the jail, the jail personnel must ensure that he is accompanied by the proper legal documents, including the warrant for his arrest, and check the documents for completeness down to the detail of signatures. (App. at 313).
19 during his entire release facilitated Hull's commission of the crime and constituted state act ion that continued until the defendants ensured that Hull returned to his cell. See Nishiyama 814 F.2d at 281 (finding state action where officers "by their acts facilitate the crime by providing the criminal with the specific opportunity to commit the crime . . . ."). The defendants' failure to appropriately restrict Hu ll's freedom afforded Hull the opportunity to attack Davis.
Davis also has presented facts sufficient to survive summary ju dgment that defendants' conduct posed a greater danger to Davis than to th e general public. Defendants' own depositions support a finding that Hull has a si gnificant history of sexually assaulting older women. Th e defendants admitted i n their depositions that they knew Hull had sexually assaulted both Sheriff Martin's wife and Bost's wife prior to his detentio n at the FCDC. These assaults alone show a pattern of sexually violen t behavior toward older women. The depositions also reveal that eac h defendant was aware o f Hull's conviction for assaulting an elderly woman. Although the defendants may not have been aware that the aggravated assaul t
was in f act an attempted rape, (App. at 387-8 (Aff. for Warrant o f 2 Arrest ), their knowledge of the assault demonstrates their awareness o f Hul l's violent propensities against older women. All of the defendant s
were also aware that Hull had burglary charges pending against him. Durin g one of the burglaries , Hull allegedly broke into an elderly woman's home, stole her undergarments, and made numerous calls to sexually explicit 900- number s. Deputy Sheriff Bost was aware of the sexual aspect of thi s burglary and theft because the victim was one of Bost's high school friend s who

### 20

lived in the house directly behind him. Bost had visited his frien d regarding the burglary and he had talked to "the city officers and th e deputies and the other people in the sheriff's office about Lawrence and about his situation" following the burglary. (A pp. at 373-4 (Dep. of Bost at 33, 35).) Bost also specifically admitted that, even before Hull had committed any of the crimes for which he was eventually incarcerated and before Hull violated his parole, he had been afr aid another sexual assault might occur if Hull was not properly supervised. (Appellant's App. at 371

- 2 (Dep. o f Bost at 31-2).) Additionally, Bost stated that Hull had a "propensity . . . to attack a weaker person, anyone who could not offer an y resistance or pose any kind of threat to him . . . ." (Appellant's App. at 380 (Dep. of Bost at 53).)

Davis ha s strongly documented Hull's dangerous propensities, which posed a threat to a clearly-defined group to which Davis belonged. This sort of specific threat is sufficient to support her section 1983 claim. Cases in which no special danger has been found generally involve a much broader risk than that present in the instant case. Fox v. Custis , 71 2 F.2d 84, 88 (4th Cir. 1983) (parolee involved in one incident of fraud and suspected of one incident of arson did not have history that posed known risk to m urder victims); Janan v. Trammell , 785 F.2d 557, 560 (6th Cir

. 1986) (t argeted threat against one person did not create a specia l relationship with a member of the general public); Jones v. Phyfer , 76 1 F.2d 642, 645-46 (11th Cir. 1985) (no special relationship between state and rape victim as to inmate who had previously robbed victim's home, but had posed no harm to her person and had no history of sexual assault). Th e majority fails to directly address the specific focus of the danger that Hull pose d to Davis given his propensity and her proximity. Rather, i t simply minimized Hull's history of violent and sexually assaultive behavio r toward older women.
In addition to Hull's propensity for sexual violence, Davis'

### 21

evidence of proximity to the area where Hull was routinely released withou t supervision is sufficient to support her 1983 claim. Davis and her husban d lived in Salem, Arkansas since 1966, and they owned their store since 1978

. The sto re is located directly behind the jail. On a daily basis, Davi s tended to her business approximately 100 feet from where Hull often worked

. The defendants knew that the store was close to the parking lot and that the store had an accessible back entrance. Cunningham estimated that it would take only two minutes to walk the distance between the parking lot and the store.

Davis' demonstrated proximity supports her contention tha t defendants' actions placed her at a greater risk of danger than that of th e genera l public. Contrary to the district court's characterization, ou r court in Wells v. Wal ker , 852 F.2d 368 (8th Cir. 1988), cert. denied , 489 U.S. 10 12 (1989), did not limit the existence of a specific danger to a stri ct range of distance; rather, in Wells we held that state actio n creates a specific harm if it "plac[es] [the pla intiff], unlike members of the general public, in a unique, confrontational encounter with a person whomplaintiffs allege had exhibited violent propensities." Id . at 371. The limitation on Hul l's activities as a trusty necessarily restricts the group of people at risk such that they are always distinct from the genera l publ ic. Compare Nishiyama , 814 F.2d at 280 (distinguishing the mor e limited risk created by a trustee as opposed to a parolee, in which "the identity of potential victims was difficult to define.") with Fox , 712 F.2 d at 88 (finding no specific danger where state ag ent exposed to a virtually unlimited set of people); Janan , 785 F.2d at 560 (same); Bowers v. DeVito , 686 F.2d 616, 618 (7th Cir. 1982) (same).

Fi nally, Davis' evidence of defendants' admitted knowledge of bot h Hull's record and the proximity of Davis' store, supports a finding that defendants' actions were, at a minimum, reckless. Daniels v. Williams , 47 4 U.S. 327, 334 n.3 (1986) (due process

### 22

viola tion requires showing of state actors' intentional or reckles s conduct). Despite their awareness of the specific danger Hull posed t o nearby citizens, particularly elderly women, the defendants released him from his cell, permit ted him to work outside the facility unattended, and did not ensure that he promptly returned to his cell when his prison dutie s
were completed. The defendants' deliberate actions are clearl y disti nguishable from the claims we rejected in Wells , 852 F.2d at 372

. Davis does not claim that defendants should have known Hull was dangerous
or should have known of her proximity. Rather D avis has demonstrated that defendants did know of her proximity and the danger that Hull posed t o
women of her age and nevertheless released him. Obviously, close r supervision would have imposed some additional administrative burdens on prison officials, but this is the price an institution must pay if it name s a sexually abusive person as a trusty.

The re cord in this case provides a sufficient factual basis t o support a section 198 3 violation. The custodial relationship between the defendants and Hull, as a trusty, supports a det ermination that defendants undertook an affirmat ive state action that increased Davis' risk of harm. Davis' pro ximity to the area in which Hull worked and Hull's sexuall y assaultive propensities support a finding that t he state's actions exposed her to a greater risk of harm than that faced by the general public. Davi s has also presented evidence that the defendants' conduct was deliberate an d intentional, the requisite mental state for a vi olation of substantive due process. For the above reasons, I dissent.

A true copy.

Attest:

CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.