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Page Number: 5.0

2 

THOMPSON v. CLARK 

Opinion of the Court 

dismissal accompanied by a statement from the judge that 
the evidence was insufficient? 

We conclude as follows: To demonstrate a favorable ter-
mination  of  a  criminal  prosecution  for  purposes  of  the
Fourth Amendment claim under §1983 for malicious prose-
cution,  a  plaintiff  need  only  show  that  his  prosecution
ended  without  a  conviction.  Thompson  satisfied  that  re-
quirement in this case.  We therefore reverse the judgment
of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and re-
mand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. 

I 

Larry  Thompson  lived  with  his  fiancée  (now  wife)  and 
their newborn baby girl in an apartment in Brooklyn, New 
York.  In January 2014, Thompson’s sister-in-law was also
staying there.  The sister-in-law apparently suffered from a 
mental  illness.    One  day  that  January,  the  sister-in-law 
called 911 and claimed that Thompson was sexually abus-
ing his one-week-old baby daughter.  Two Emergency Med-
ical Technicians promptly responded.  When the EMTs ar-
rived at the family’s apartment, Thompson asked the EMTs
why they were there and denied that anyone had called 911.
The EMTs left and informed the police of the situation.

The  EMTs  and  four  police  officers  then  returned  to  the 
apartment.  When they arrived, Thompson told them that
they could not come in without a warrant.  The police offic-
ers  nonetheless  entered  and,  after  a  brief  scuffle,  hand-
cuffed Thompson.  The EMTs followed the officers into the 
apartment and examined the baby.  After finding red marks
on the baby’s body, the EMTs took the baby to the hospital 
for evaluation.  The marks turned out to be a case of diaper 
rash.  The medical professionals found no signs of abuse.

Meanwhile, the police officers arrested Thompson for re-
sisting  their  entry  into  the  apartment.  Thompson  was 
taken to a local hospital and then to jail.  While Thompson
was in custody, one of the police officers prepared and filed