Opinion ID: 1269966
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: ashby's state court claims and district court's disposition

Text: In the Lancaster County District Court action, Ashby alleged that the State, through its employee Dyer, negligently allowed M.A. to leave Nebraska before determining whether Ashby was properly notified of the adoption. And he alleges that Dyer's actions deprived him of procedural and substantive due process rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2006). Ashby also claimed that (1) all the defendants conspired to violate his civil rights and deprive him of a parental relationship with his son; (2) the Blacks falsely imprisoned M.A.; and (3) Dyer, Kilmer, the Blacks, Whitmire, Washburn, and Erickson & Sederstrom engaged in constructive fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty. He sought not the return of his son, but compensatory and punitive damages. In two separate orders, the district court granted summary judgment to Kilmer, the Blacks, Whitmire, Washburn, and Erickson & Sederstrom. In April 2008, the court denied Ashby's request that the court order Whitmire to produce his file on M.A. And in November 2008, the court granted summary judgment to the State and Dyer. Ashby now appeals. Regarding the negligence claim against the State, the court concluded that (1) Dyer had no duty to check the biological father registry before allowing M.A. to leave Nebraska and (2) the State's only duty was to ensure that it met the ICPC requirements, which Dyer had done. Because the State had no duty, it could not be negligent. The court also found that res judicata barred Ashby's § 1983 claim against Dyer in her official capacity because a federal district court had decided the claim against Ashby. [8] And, because the evidence indicated that Dyer did not act in any capacity other than her official capacity, the court dismissed Ashby's § 1983 claim against her in her individual capacity. Regarding the civil conspiracy claim, the court found that the evidence failed to show any agreement between the defendants to deprive Ashby of the opportunity to assert his parental rights. To the contrary, the court found that Ashby had established his paternity in both Nebraska and Alabama courts before the Blacks finalized the adoption. The court also found Ashby's false imprisonment claim failed because the Blacks had an order from an Alabama court granting them custody. The court found all other claims meritless and dismissed the case.