Opinion ID: 1925512
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sheriff Bailey

Text: Turning to the § 1983 claim against Bailey, Wright argues that Bailey had a practice of encouraging his deputies to permit intoxicated individuals to enter their cars and drive in order to enhance a charge against them from public intoxication to driving while intoxicated. Wright says that Bailey's practice constituted deliberate indifference to his wife's safety, in violation of her Fourteenth Amendment right not to be deprived, by the state, of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Supreme Court has held that a state official with policymaking authority may be liable under § 1983 for implementing, or failing to implement, a policy or practice, if it constitutes deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of individuals with whom the state has contact. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 104-05, 97 S.Ct. 285, 291, 50 L.Ed.2d 251 (1976). Likewise, this Court has held that a sheriff can be liable under § 1983 when his conduct constitutes deliberate indifference to another's constitutionally protected rights. Oliver v. Townsend, 534 So.2d 1038, 1047 (Ala.1988). Estelle was the first case to address the question of a state official's liability under § 1983 for implementing a policy that constituted deliberate indifference to another's constitutionally protected rights. Estelle, 429 U.S. at 104-05, 97 S.Ct. at 291 (prisoner alleged that state officials violated his due process rights by failing to supply him with adequate medical treatment). Since Estelle, courts have considered a variety of § 1983 claims challenging state policies on the ground of deliberate indifference to constitutionally protected rights. See Popham v. City of Talladega, 908 F.2d 1561, 1563 (11th Cir.1990) (per curiam) (jail suicide); Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 104-05, 97 S.Ct. 285, 291, 50 L.Ed.2d 251 (1976) (medical treatment); Jensen v. Conrad, 747 F.2d 185 (4th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1052, 105 S.Ct. 1754, 84 L.Ed.2d 818 (1985) (child abuse); Brown v. City of Elba, 754 F.Supp. 1551 (M.D.Ala.1990) (police transportation). However, these courts, like the courts considering the special relationship/special danger exceptions, have not held state officials liable unless the claimant could establish a custodial relationship between the state and the victim or between the state and the aggressor. Wright has not presented any evidence that shows a custodial relationship between the state and Mrs. Wright or between the state and Townley. Therefore, we conclude that Wright cannot maintain a § 1983 action against Bailey. Accordingly, we affirm the summary judgment for Bailey as to Wright's § 1983 action against him. AFFIRMED. MADDOX, SHORES, HOUSTON and KENNEDY, JJ., concur.