Opinion ID: 1388423
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Prior court decisions weigh against vicarious liability.

Text: As the court of last resort on this question of state statutory construction, we are not bound by the decisions of our sister states' courts. They do, however, provide guidance in determining whether our decision will be consistent with mainstream thinking on this issue. ( Delaney v. Superior Court (1990) 50 Cal.3d 785, 799, fn. 9 [268 Cal. Rptr. 753, 789 P.2d 934].) Those decisions weigh against imposing liability. (The thrust of the majority on this point is defensive, i.e, trying to distinguish cases that decline liability.) In Bates v. United States (8th Cir.1983) 701 F.2d 737, the court affirmed a summary judgment in favor of the federal government in an action arising from rapes and murders committed by a military policeman. The majority attempts to downplay the decision's significance by emphasizing that the federal court was applying state law. The attempted distinction is misplaced. The majority does not dispute that the decision was a correct application of Missouri law. The decision is therefore entitled to the same consideration that the majority gives to the Louisiana and Wisconsin state court decisions on which the majority relies. Bates v. United States, supra, 701 F.2d 737, does not stand alone. In City of Green Cove Springs v. Donaldson (5th Cir.1965) 348 F.2d 197, the court held as a matter of law that an on-duty police officer was not within the scope of his employment when he arrested and raped a female motorist. ( Id., at p. 202.) In Gambling v. Cornish, supra, 426 F. Supp. 1153, the court held that two policemen who raped and committed other sexual acts on a citizen were not within the scope of their employment, regardless of whether they were on or off duty. ( Id., at p. 1155.) The court explained that, [W]hile the doctrine of respondeat superior should be broadly applied when a police officer is involved, the line must be drawn somewhere. ( Ibid. ) In Bates v. Doria, supra, 502 N.E.2d 454, the court affirmed a summary judgment in favor of a county in an action arising from a rape committed by an off-duty deputy sheriff. The majority attempts to distinguish the case on the ground that the officer was off duty. This fact played no part in the court's decision. The rationale of the decision was that the rape was outrageous and was committed solely for the officer's benefit. ( Id., at p. 457.) Those facts would remain true regardless of whether the officer was on duty or off duty. The two cases on which the majority relies are not persuasive. In Desotelle v. Continental Cas. Co. (1986) 136 Wis.2d 13 [400 N.W.2d 524], the court affirmed a judgment of no vicarious liability on the ground that the jury's verdict was supported by the evidence. This fact-specific holding provides little guidance one way or the other for our case. That the facts of the case supported the jury's verdict does not mean the facts in our case support this jury's verdict. In Applewhite v. City of Baton Rouge, supra, 380 So.2d 119, the court affirmed a judgment against a city for rapes committed by two on-duty officers. Although the result supports the majority's conclusion, the Louisiana Court of Appeal's discussion of the issue was brief โ less than a page โ and did not consider the significant issues raised by imposing liability. More important, neither case ( Desotelle, supra, 400 N.W.2d 524; Applewhite, supra, 380 So.2d 119) was decided under a comprehensive statutory scheme like California's that governs public entity liability.