Opinion ID: 780522
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hamlin's Appeal of the Denial of Qualified Immunity

Text: 15 Under this doctrine, a denial of summary judgment based on a legal determination that qualified immunity is inappropriate is immediately appealable as a collateral order. See Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 526-28, 530, 105 S.Ct. 2806, 86 L.Ed.2d 411 (1985); Behrens v. Pelletier, 516 U.S. 299, 307, 116 S.Ct. 834, 133 L.Ed.2d 773 (1996); Skousen v. Brighton High Sch., 305 F.3d 520, 525 (6th Cir.2002). To the extent that a denial of summary judgment finding qualified immunity inappropriate is based upon the district court's determination that a genuine issue of material fact exists, the decision will not be immediately appealable. See Johnson, 515 U.S. at 313, 115 S.Ct. 2151; see Farm Labor Org. Comm. v. Ohio State Highway Patrol, 308 F.3d 523, 536-37 (6th Cir.2002); Skousen, 305 F.3d at 525; Turner v. Scott, 119 F.3d 425, 427 (6th Cir.1997). In the present case, the district court did not find that a genuine dispute of material fact precluded summary judgment on the issue of qualified immunity. 16 In reviewing the denial of qualified immunity, we must accept the undisputed facts and view the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs. Klein v. Long, 275 F.3d 544, 549 (6th Cir.2001); cf. Berryman v. Rieger, 150 F.3d 561, 562 (6th Cir.1998). We review questions of law de novo. McCloud v. Testa, 97 F.3d 1536, 1541 (6th Cir.1997).