Opinion ID: 737240
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: State Police/Custody Officers:

Text: 10 California State Police Officers Everett, MacDonald, Pennel, Perez, and Peters (Custody Officers), who accepted custody of appellants after they had been placed under citizen's arrest, were properly granted qualified immunity because they relied upon clearly established law and could have believed as reasonable officers that their conduct was lawful. Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 639 (1987); Act UP!/Portland v. Bagley, 988 F.2d 868, 871 (9th Cir.1993). When they accepted custody of appellants it was objectively reasonable for the Custody Officers to believe that the appellants had been lawfully arrested for disrupting a religious service. 11 An officer who acts in reliance upon a duly-enacted statute or ordinance is ordinarily entitled to qualified immunity. Grossman v. City of Portland, 33 F.3d 1200, 1209 (9th Cir.1994). Cf. Chew v. Gates, 27 F.3d 1432, 1447-49 (9th Cir.1994), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 1097 (1995) (holding, in part, that officers implementing a long-established policy are entitled to qualified immunity where no then-existing case law demonstrated that the particular policy was unconstitutional). Where a statute authorizes official conduct that is patently violative of fundamental constitutional principles, an officer who enforces that statute is not entitled to qualified immunity. Grossman, 33 F.3d at 1209. That is not the case here. At the time of these arrests, § 302 had been upheld as constitutional by California appellate courts. People v. Cruz, 101 Cal.Rptr. 711, 717-718 (Cal.App.Dep't Super.Ct.1972). There was no contrary authority. We conclude that it was objectively reasonable for the officers to rely upon it. Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 819 (1982). 12 State police officer Harder, who arrested appellants Scheidler and Cooke, also was properly granted summary judgment on the grounds of qualified immunity. It was objectively reasonable for Officer Harder to believe that he had probable cause to arrest appellant Scheidler based upon the undisputed fact that he was present when Scheidler spoke out loudly during the service and attempted to unfurl a banner reading Sacrilege, apparently intending to attract the attention of Governor-elect Wilson. Officer Harder arrested appellant Cooke after Cooke approached within three feet of the Governor-elect and stated loudly, What are you going to do about murdering millions of unborn children in this state? It would be reasonable to interpret this statement, made in such close proximity, as threatening. See Hunter v. Bryant, 502 U.S. 224, 228-29 (1991) (even assuming Secret Service agents lacked probable cause for an arrest made in an effort to protect the President, the Court held them entitled to qualified immunity); Malley v. Briggs, 475 U.S. 335, 341 (1986) (qualified immunity protects all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law); ActUP!/Portland, 988 F.2d at 871 (police officers who objectively believe that their conduct is lawful in light of clearly established principles are immune from civil damages); Fuller v. M.G. Jewelry, 950 F.2d 1437, 1443 (9th Cir.1991) (Even absent probable cause, qualified immunity is available if a reasonable police officer could have believed that his or her conduct was lawful.). 13 State Officer Lt. Hensley, supervisor of the Custody Officers, was properly granted summary judgment. His subordinates acted lawfully in accepting custody of appellants. In the absence of constitutional injury caused by his subordinates, he cannot be liable for failure to supervise.