Source: http://openjurist.org/149/f3d/951/poppell-v-city-of-san-diego
Timestamp: 2013-05-21 02:36:14
Document Index: 694964169

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 101', '§ 12', '§ 52', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 821', '§ 821', '§ 815']

149 F. 3d 951 - Poppell v. City Of San Diego	Home149 f3d 951 poppell v. city of san diego
Q. Ms. Silva-Martinez, why did you all decide not to go civilly?
A. Because what my understanding of previous actions and the defendant's was that he was inclined to basically file a lot of papers in court. And if we wanted to file civilly, there would have been no assurances that we would have been able to obtain an order to immediately shut his business and that we might have been caught up in many, many motions basically papering each other to death, which could have taken a very long time to get compliance.
Q. Now, Ms. Silva-Martinez, you mentioned two things, first of all, shutting down his business and, secondly, obtaining compliance. Is there a difference between the two?A. Yes. Because the activity could stop, but there still would be outstanding code violations that would have had to be corrected separate from the activity, for example, electrical violations, the removal of the fuel tank, things of that nature.
Q. Referring to the items that were at issue when this case was filed, were there violations which the three prosecutors considered serious enough to be safety issues for the respective people that went to the premises?
Because what transpired in San Diego Municipal Court in connection with these charges is critical to an understanding of our holding in connection with whether Poppell's prosecution was actionably malicious, we discuss it here in detail, and we borrow almost verbatim from then Magistrate Judge Moskowitz's excellent "Report and Recommendation for the Issuance of a Writ of Habeas Corpus" filed on April 7, 1995 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
During a motions hearing, Poppell's counsel argued that the City of San Diego should be estopped from prosecuting Poppell for the zoning violations based on the issuance of the Zoning Use Certificate Approvals and assurances by the City Attorney's Office that he would now not be bothered if he obeyed the law. The prosecution argued in response that the zoning approval necessary for the business tax certificate was based on approval for a social club, not an adult entertainment establishment. Defense counsel countered that the Zoning Department was aware of what kind of activity was conducted at Poppell's club, and that it was clear to all concerned that the City Planning Department knew that Poppell was engaged in adult entertainment but nonetheless certified that he could operate in the I-1 zone. The prosecution argued, however, that zoning violations were strict liability offenses and, therefore, that estoppel based on governmental mistake was not a defense. In response to defense counsel's argument that the City had "known all along what [Poppell's] establishment is and what it does," the trial judge stated,
Any they [sic] approved that. The question is now, is it strict liability? If it's strict liability, even [if] some government official made a mistake or approved it or whatever, I'm not so sure it's a defense. In fact, I don't think it is and then you may not be able to bring it up....
The following day, the court ruled that zoning violations were strict liability offenses. Section 101.0212 of the 1994 version of the San Diego Municipal Code states that "[v]iolations of this Chapter shall be treated as strict liability offenses regardless of intent." San Diego, Cal., Mun.Code § 101.0212 (1994).
The prosecution then argued against allowing Poppell to raise a defense based on the mistaken issuance of zoning use approval, relying on Pettitt v. City of Fresno, 34 Cal.App.3d 813, 819, 110 Cal.Rptr. 262, 265 (1973). The prosecution contended that, "as a matter of law the City cannot be estopped to deny the validity of a permit or other representation respecting the use of property issued or made in violation of the express provisions of a zoning ordinance." After discussing the issue over a two-day period, the trial judge agreed with the prosecution. He ruled that any defense evidence concerning the government's conduct or the issue of estoppel was irrelevant and would be excluded.
Violations of the San Diego Municipal Code are misdemeanors subject to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than six months or both. See San Diego, Cal., Mun.Code § 12.0201 (1994). On each count, Poppell was sentenced to three years of summary probation on the condition that he serve ninety days in custody. The custody sentences on all but Counts Two and Four were stayed. The sentences on Counts Two and Four were ordered to run consecutively for a total of 180 days.
Poppell then filed this action against Zoning Administrator Sharren Carr, the City of San Diego, and several police officers seeking "vindication of his constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, due process of law, and to equal protection under the law." Carr was named as a defendant on the second claim (federal claims), fifth claim (state constitution directly), sixth claim (state constitution under Cal. Civ.Code § 52.1), and seventh claim (infliction of emotional distress). The City was named as a defendant on the fourth claim (Monell ), and the fifth, sixth, and seventh claims as above. Two police officers, Larson and Albright, were named as defendants in the third claim, but they are not parties to this appeal. Not surprisingly, the case was assigned to Judge Rhoades.
Poppell structured the main thrust of his case around two different but closely related theories. One of his theories was based on our holding in Usher v. City of Los Angeles, 828 F.2d 556, 562 (9th Cir.1987). Usher holds that a malicious prosecution with the intent to deprive a person of equal protection of the law or otherwise to subject a person to a denial of constitutional rights is cognizable under § 1983. Poppell claimed that when Carr referred the matter of his apparent zoning violations to the City Attorney, she acted with malicious intent to deprive him of his constitutional rights to (1) freedom of assembly, (2) freedom of association, (3) freedom of speech, and (4) the right to pursue an occupation.
Poppell alleged at trial that Carr was instrumental in the initiation and perpetuation of the City's prosecution of him. Poppell contended that Carr acted with malice and with a purpose to deprive him of specified constitutional rights. The "purpose" element of this claim presupposes a knowledge of or a deliberate indifference to the rights at issue.
A jury verdict must be affirmed if substantial evidence supports the verdict. See Landes Constr. Co. v. Royal Bank of Canada, 833 F.2d 1365, 1369-71 (9th Cir.1987). "Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as reasonable minds might accept as adequate to support a conclusion even if it is possible to draw two inconsistent conclusions from the evidence." Maynard v. City of San Jose, 37 F.3d 1396, 1404 (9th Cir.1994). The jury found Carr had acted with malice and had intentionally attempted to deprive Poppell of his constitutional rights. Although we have taken great care to respect the prerogatives of the jury, we reverse its decision and hold that there is no substantial evidence in the record from which it reasonably could have so concluded. On close examination, Poppell's case against Carr is a case of theories and suppositions without evidentiary support. Speculation was allowed to do duty for probative facts as there was no evidence of malice: Carr merely did what was required of her by virtue of her job.
The judge instructed the jury that the meaning of malice was "a wish to vex, annoy or injury another person ... the doing of an act for some improper or wrongful motive or purpose." The record is devoid of any substantial inculpatory evidence demonstrating malice or an unconstitutional purpose or intent. Performing her required duties as a city zoning administrator and acting not on her own motion but on a citizen's complaint, Carr followed department protocol. It was the prosecutor 's independent decision, based on the evidence of a violation, to prosecute. Furthermore, the official policy of the City Attorney indisputably required Carr at that time to turn over all cases involving repeat offenders to the City Attorney immediately without any efforts to pursue administrative remedies. Poppell was such a repeat offender. He was operating his adult entertainment business in a prohibited zone. Pursuant to Carr's official duty, she turned over the information regarding Poppell's violations. She had no discretion to do otherwise. Contrary to Poppell's lawyer's claims, no law-constitutional or otherwise-required this set of facts and circumstances to be handled administratively, and no law protected Poppell from becoming a defendant on these charges. Then, the City Attorney's Office was faced with the decision whether to prosecute Poppell criminally. Armed with all the information, including the memorandum indicating Poppell had mistakenly received a permit for operation at the E Street location, the prosecutor made the decision to file criminal charges against Poppell. In fact, Hanley's declaration outlined an alternative approach, which was to seek voluntary compliance. The City Attorney rejected this approach and decided to prosecute. This prosecutorial decision is granted absolute immunity as it squarely fell within the immunity granted a prosecutor's discretionary charging decisions. See United States v. Doe, 125 F.3d 1249, 1254 (9th Cir.1997), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 1100, 140 L.Ed.2d 154 (1998). "[T]he exercise of prosecutorial judgment will usually insulate investigating officers from liability." See Smiddy v. Varney, 803 F.2d 1469, 1471 (9th Cir.1986), modified on other grounds, 811 F.2d 504 (9th Cir.1987).
There was no evidence in the record to suggest that Carr actively participated in the prosecutors' decision to charge Poppell. The City Attorney's Office employed its own investigator to look into the case, and the existence of violations of the law was verified via the service of a lawfully executed warrant. City Attorney Silva-Martinez testified that three prosecutors exercised their own independent judgment and chose to charge Poppell criminally for his repeated zoning violations. The uncontradicted evidence as to the source of the disputed one thousand foot rule charging decision was that it was made "probably from [zoning] maps":
Q. (By Poppell's attorney) Ms. Silva-Martinez, do you know where the City Attorney's Office got its information with which to charge Mr. Poppell with being in violation of the thousand foot Rule, counts 1 and 3?
A. (By Silva-Martinez) Probably from maps.
Q. So whatever you knew, you knew from whatever Mr. Schilling and Ms. Scanlan told you; isn't it correct?
A. And the evidence I saw before me.
Q. What evidence did you look at relating to zoning?
A. My recollection was at meetings there were zoning maps, and we're all very familiar with the municipal code.
Q. But when you were in those meetings looking at maps, was Ms. Carr present?
Q. Was anybody else from Zoning present.
The linchpin of Poppell's attempt to show actionable malice and intent is the allegation that Carr did not notify the City Attorney of the mistaken approval of the E Street location. The first problem with this allegation as "smoking gun" evidence that implies malice is that under California's substantive zoning law, the mistake was irrelevant and did not confer upon Poppell either the ability to remain on E Street or protection from criminal prosecution. Poppell's right to a defense of estoppel was not recognized by any California State judge in front of whom it was argued. The City quoted from Pettitt v. City of Fresno, 34 Cal.App.3d 813, 820, 110 Cal.Rptr. 262, 266 (1973): "[T]he public and community interest in preserving the community patterns of zoning laws outweighs the injustice that may be incurred by the individual in relying on an invalid permit to build issued in violation of zoning laws." The entirety of the California judicial officials could not recognize Poppell's alleged defense from which his claims arise. We believe that such a performance by the judiciary sheds light on whether his prosecution by the City was carried out with malice and without probable cause.
The Court (Judge Rhoades): As I understand it, the trial judge held that the evidence, which I assume came out or attempted to come out at the time of trial, couldn't be received, right? That was the estoppel evidence?Mr. Marrinan (Counsel for Poppell): Right.
The Court: And so the trial judge--it finally got over to me and I did an awful lot of research on it and finally decided there was an estoppel. But I've been around a long time and investigated a lot of cases and have done a lot of legal study. I finally came to the conclusion that the trial judge was wrong. But here you have a prosecutor who argued that estoppel evidence was not good, could not, as a matter of law, go in, a trial judge who agreed. And that went up through the appellate courts, right?
Mr. Marrinan: Well, let me think about that for one moment. Well, all we know from them is one sentence that says "Judgment Affirmed."
The Court: ... How is Ms. Hanley or Mr. Hart, if the Supreme Court of California doesn't know, how are they going to know that that is something that they should have brought to the attention of the prosecutor when everybody up the--got over to me in the federal court, who had a lot of time to look at it, had a lot of law clerks looking at it, I finally decided it was something that would go in. Okay? So how do those city officials--how can you say that they were to know and they should have even revealed it?
Unlike any of the courts, including this court, really, in that habeas corpus petition. These people--I was going to say they knew all the facts....
And then that argument that I made yesterday--and I should have been probably keeping my mouth shut--but the argument that went to the Supreme Court of California and the Supreme Court of California thinks there's probable cause, how would these people, who are just investigators, not think that there was probable cause?
And it had to go to a federal court who spent a lot of time. And I was the one that did it. It took a lot of time and effort to determine that estoppel--that the evidence as to--that somebody in the Zoning Department had told him that he was not in violation of zoning laws. That should have been presented. A Municipal Court Judge felt it shouldn't be presented, and he knew it at that time because there was an effort to present it. The Appellate Department of the Superior Court said it wasn't necessary to present it. The Supreme Court of California by the--maybe it was a postcard or one line, but they certainly didn't overturn it. They felt it shouldn't be presented.
Q. As head of the unit now, would it be important for you to know that a person who you were considering prosecuting for a zoning violation had been approved by zoning to operate in that location?
Q. That would be very important, wouldn't it?
A. It would be important.
Q. Because it might not be just to prosecute somebody for a zoning violation if they had been told by the head zoning officials that they were proper in that zone; isn't that true?
A. It would be something that I would look at, but I also know that it would never override the decision to go forward on a case, because the most important thing is to get the violation corrected. If someone made a mistake in the case, let's say it was zoning, there are specific code sections and there is much case law that says that that does not estop us from going forward with an action. So that doesn't make everything stop at all. We would look at it.
Q. And it would be a factor in your decision, whether you were doing justice by prosecuting the person; isn't that true.
Q. Well, do you know when [Poppell] got off probation?
A. I don't know, but if he wasn't, that wouldn't have been uncommon either. We still would have proceeded criminally and filed a criminal action.
Q. No matter when the prior action was?
Q. No matter what it was for?
Q. So if there had been a zoning violation--
A. This is a person we had to get an inspection warrant against. You're making it sound like that was all we looked at. This was an extremely uncooperative person that had serious violations on his property, that we were hearing nothing but bad things about as far as from the activity that was impacting the community, as far as the serious violations that would be impacting anybody that would be inside the building.
A.... I've handled a lot of cases like this, and the issue that you're going for is one of estoppel. And the case law is that the city is not estopped from proceeding in a case if a city department or person has issued any permanent error or given any information that would make the person allegedly detrimental to rely on those facts.
There is no objective reason the nonlawyer zoning administrator should know that the City Attorney's litigation position regarding the existence of a possible defense to the charges was defective based on federal law. And, as we remarked in Smiddy, "It would be ironic if the presumably independent decisions of these immune officers would automatically result in enhanced liability for the nonimmune police officers." 803 F.2d at 1472.
Q. (By Poppell's attorney) So on that basis you believed [after the inspection] that he had been granted zoning approval in error, correct?
A. (By Hanley) Correct.
Q. And you did include a notation to that effect in a memo to Mr. Schilling?
Q. Did you notify Mr. Poppell that he had been granted zoning approval in error?
Q. Why didn't you notify Mr. Poppell that he had been granted zoning approval in error?
A. I believed that I was directed to take my findings of my inspection and my report and send it directly to Mr. Schilling's office. So once the case is in the attorney's office, if there is any contact, it's normally through the attorney and the alleged attorney that correspondence is then handled.... [R.T. 602, 603]
Q. Now, in your memo to Mr. Schilling [of January 9, 1992], you indicated that the zoning approval had been granted by mistake?
We note that Poppell's attorney never explicitly asked Carr whether she advised Schilling or his colleagues about the mistakes that had been made. Poppell did not call Schilling as a witness. In fact, the closest Poppell's attorney chose to come to this issue with Carr was to ask her questions that on their face do not seek information that is relevant or material to the question of withholding information:Q. (By Poppell's attorney) Whether it was before or after, you did become aware in this case that Mr. Poppell was charged with a criminal violation of violating the thousand foot rule, correct?
A. (By Carr) Yes.
Q. And you also were aware that he was charged with a criminal violation of operating an adult entertainment establishment in an improper zone, correct?
Q. And at any point did you say to Mr. Schilling or anybody in his office that it would be improper or unfair to charge Mr. Poppell with those crimes?
A. Did I state to the City Attorney's office it would be improper or unfair? No.
Q. And you knew that each of those charges carried potential six months in jail, correct?
A. Any violation of the Municipal Code carries six months in jail and a thousand dollar fine.
Q. Including these, correct?
Q. And you knew sometime late in 1992, several months after the criminal charges were brought, you were aware that Mr. Poppell had been sentenced to six months in jail on the two zoning violations, correct?
Q. At that time did you indicate to anybody from the City Attorney's office or the court system that that would be improper or unfair?
A. That I would go to the court?
Q. Or to the City Attorney.
A. Or the City Attorney? No.
We fail to see how an inquiry into whether Carr told anyone that she believed Poppell's prosecution to be "unfair" or "improper" advances Poppell's cause.
Q. (By the City Attorney) In fact, on Sunrise Street, isn't it true, Mr. Poppell, that [Carr] was the one that approved you for Sunrise Street and that's essentially--during the time that we've been talking about, that's the only place you were able to operate without any sort of problems?
A. (By Poppell) She entrapped me there on Sunrise Street.
Q. She entrapped you?
A. If she gave me the permission to be there and then her intent was to prosecute me, that's entrapment.
Q. Did she ever prosecute you on Sunrise Street?
A. No, but on E Street, she did.
Q. Mr. Poppell, did she ever prosecute you on Sunrise Street?
Q. Did anyone ever complain about Sunrise Street to your knowledge?
Q. Do you know whether or not Ms. Carr went out there?
A. She said she did.
Q. Well, other than that, did she ever come out and tell you that she wanted you out of business?
Q. You were in business on Sunrise Street because Ms. Carr approved you, even though you were within a thousand feet of a residential zone; is that not correct?
Q. So her making a mistake was the only way you were able to operate on Sunrise Street?
Q. And at the time you were on probation and couldn't operate anywhere in violation of the zoning codes?A. That's true.
Q. Did Ms. Carr advise you to move over to E Street?
Q. Did she have any role in your decision to move to E Street?
Q. Did you personally talk with Ms. Carr about going to E Street?
Q. Do you know whether or not she had any role at all personally in doing the approval for E Street?
Q. Do you know who did approve you for E Street?
A. I believe it was A. Sherwood.
Q. Allison Sherwood?
Poppell did float another theory of conspiracy and malice that also finds no support in the record. At one point, Poppell had been taken on a probation violation before Municipal Judge Raymond Edwards, who declined to find him in violation. Poppell's attorney theorized from this event that "these people ... figured, okay, we can characterize [Poppell] as a repeat offender.... We can get a different Judge than Ray Edwards who is the one-Judge Edwards who found him not to be in violation of probation, so they have to wait to prosecute him until after that so they get to go to another judge."
But another consequence flows from the district court's approval of a criminal retrial, and especially from its statements to the effect that although Poppell might have a defense to the criminal charges, the mistake would not have permitted him to continue to operate in the prohibited zone. The consequence is that the Filner letter upon which Poppell relies, and which Carr was not aware of until the trial, is rendered not only not inculpatory, but fully consistent with the law. Filner's October 16, 1991 letter to Ms. Moore advised her that a plan was being developed "to close the club." This, however, should surprise no one, because as everyone now acknowledges, the "club" was operating in a prohibited zone, i.e., one where by zoning law it could not function. So, of course, the club on E Street had to close. To quote Judge Moskowitz, "Poppell cannot rely on the erroneous issuance of Zoning Use Certificate Approvals in order to continue operating at the E Street location. If he is in fact in violation of the zoning ordinances his club must cease to operate except where permitted by the zoning ordinances." [R & R p. 11]. This conclusion was not Filner's decree, or even Carr's, or the prosecutor's: it was the official legislative voice of the City of San Diego. By October 16, 1991, City officials had learned from their investigations that this zoning violation was an uncontroverted fact. The zoning counts unchallenged in this lawsuit of which Poppell was convicted in Municipal Court, Counts 2 and 4, adjudicated his disentitlement to remain at that address notwithstanding their subsequent fate in the petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The writ did not rezone the property. Carr was so informing City officials in August 1991. [R.T. 684-715].
Poppell did not call Filner as a witness even though Filner was on his witness list. Poppell's omission detracts from the interpretation he attempts to place on the letter. See Sunward Corp. v. Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., 811 F.2d 511, 520-21 (10th Cir.1987) (failure to call knowledgeable witnesses about the meaning of a document reflects on whether inferences to be drawn therefrom are reasonable).VI
Poppell claimed as part of his § 1983 theory, as the judge explained to the jury at the opening of the trial, that he had been knowingly "singled out for prosecution while others similarly situated were not prosecuted and that the ... decision to prosecute him was based on impermissible grounds." We have read every word of this record and find no substantial evidence whatsoever to support this claim. Poppell's attempt to show a discrepancy between himself and others "similarly situated" utterly failed. Carr admitted that she had "worked with" three other adult entertainment establishments who had been given mistaken permits and had not taken their cases to the City Attorney. But the record established conclusively that unlike Poppell's club these establishments-the F Street bookstores-had no previous violations on their records. Poppell did not attempt to dispute this dispositively relevant distinction, and he did not introduce evidence of a single instance where a repeat offender had been treated differently from his client. We can infer from this voluminous record that had such evidence existed, Poppell would have found and introduced it. In fact, Poppell's failure in this regard stands as substantial evidence that Poppell was not singled out, and, inferentially, that he was treated like all others similarly situated.
As to the broad allegation that the decision to prosecute Poppell was based on "impermissible grounds," again, the charging decision was not made by Carr, but by the City Attorney. The record is utterly devoid of any impermissible motive on Carr's behalf, as we have explained in our discussion of why his malicious prosecution theory fails. Poppell did not support his allegation that either Carr or the City-which had a policy to permit these businesses to operate-had singled him out for punishment because he sought to exercise any of the various constitutional rights on which he relied. Poppell's evidence is clearly not sufficient to sustain the jury's general verdict.3
Reviewing this record with all deference to the jury's verdict and to the decisions of the trial judge, we are left with the unshakable conclusion that the case as to Carr was at best about an understandable bureaucratic mistake as to the Sunrise location, not malice or any purpose to deprive Poppell of his constitutional rights. The evidence viewed in its light most favorable to Poppell together with all the inferences that may reasonably be drawn therefrom in support of his claims does not demonstrate or prove an unlawful purpose to ruin his business or to punish him for exercising his rights, only to enforce the law and to make him move to a legal location. This case does no more than describe the complications that arise from our form of government that separates various functions and then requires them to work together as they implement the rule of law. It is not the usual malicious prosecution case involving allegations of charges cooked up for improper reasons by private persons. The meshing of these gears is not always perfect, but the usual play in the criminal justice system does not suggest, without more, malice or foul play on the part of the various actors. The official nature of Carr's actions reflects negatively on the reasonableness of the inferences and conclusions Poppell seeks to draw from the evidentiary data. Here, the prosecutors even went so far as to secure a warrant before any inspection was accomplished. The return itself and the accompanying declarations establish beyond doubt a sound basis to take Poppell to court, which again, is just a normal step in the sorting out of these matters as contemplated by the rule of law upon which our system depends. Poppell's attempt to characterize the discharge of Carr's official responsibilities as the tort of malicious prosecution simply does not work. His claims are no more than "debater's suppositions." Sunward, 811 F.2d at 520-21.
California Government Code § 821.6 provides that a public employee is immune from liability for injuries caused by instituting or prosecuting any judicial or administrative proceedings, even if the employee acts maliciously and without probable cause. See Cal. Gov't Code § 821.6 (West 1994).
Carr enjoys immunity under state law for the actions Poppell claims resulted in damages. Section 821.6 provides that as a public employee, Carr is immune from liability for injuries caused by instituting any judicial proceeding, even if she had acted with malice. See Scannell v. County of Riverside, 152 Cal.App.3d 596, 604, 199 Cal.Rptr. 644 (1984). Accordingly, Poppell's claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress must fail. Even if Carr had acted with malice, the jury would be precluded from finding liability on a state law claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress. The City of San Diego cannot be held liable for such acts where its employees are immune from liability. See Cal. Gov't Code § 815.2(b).
Furthermore, the remaining state claims, premised upon various California constitutional provisions, must also fail. Carr enjoys immunity under state law for any action which presumably caused Poppell to suffer damages--referring the case to the City Attorney's Office. Poppell's constitutional claims also must fail because the jury's general verdict did not differentiate between the emotional distress claim and the constitutional claims.
As quoted in Time, Sept. 7, 1962, at 15
Also in August 1991, after oral assurances that he would no longer be bothered by the officials at his E Street location so long as he did not break the law and with confirmation that he was operating in the correct zone, Poppell voluntarily dismissed his pending lawsuit against the City of San Diego, Zoning Administrator Carr, and other city officials. The lawsuit had originated from the late 1980s, from Poppell's zoning violations while at the Monroe Street location. From the record, it appears clearly that the timing of this dismissal was coincidental. Carr testified that the E Street investigation began as a result of a citizen's complaint. All the evidence in the record conclusively supports this testimony
With no showing of malice sufficient to sustain an action for malicious prosecution, Carr's communications to the City Attorney would ordinarily be covered by section 47 of California's Code of Civil Procedure, which creates a privilege for communications made in the initiation or course of any proceeding authorized by law. See Fremont Compensation Ins. Co. v. Superior Court, 44 Cal.App.4th 867, 52 Cal.Rptr.2d 211 (1996); Kimmel v. Goland, 51 Cal.3d 202, 271 Cal.Rptr. 191, 793 P.2d 524 (1990). Fremont says that reports of criminal activity to police/prosecution are privileged, even if made of malice
The jury found only three parties liable at trial: Zoning Administrator Carr, the three police officers, and the City of San Diego. The only parties who appeal the verdict are Carr and the City. The police officers do not appeal
Home149 f3d 951 poppell v. city of san diego