Opinion ID: 165300
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Liability of MCSD

Text: “A [§ 1983] suit against a municipality and a suit against a municipal official acting in his or her official capacity are the same.” Watson v. Kansas City, 857 F.2d 690, 695 (10th Cir. 1988) (citations omitted). In addition, a plaintiff seeking to recover damages in an official capacity suit, or in a suit against a department of a governmental entity, must look to the governmental entity alone for payment. See Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 166 (1985). Therefore, the Marinos’ claims 25 against the MCSD and the individual sheriff defendants in their official capacities are construed as claims against Montrose County. “A plaintiff suing a municipality under section 1983 for the acts of one of its employees must prove: (1) that a municipal employee committed a constitutional violation, and (2) that a municipal policy or custom was the moving force behind the constitutional deprivation.” Myers v. Oklahoma County Bd. of County Comm'rs, 151 F.3d 1313, 1316 (10th Cir. 1998) (citations omitted). If no underlying constitutional violation by a municipal employee exists, the claims against the county must be dismissed. Id. We previously dismissed the Marinos’ § 1983 claims against the sheriff defendants, in their individual capacities, for failure to allege a constitutional violation. Accordingly, the § 1983 claims against Montrose County and against Waterman, Hill and Hiler in their official capacities are properly dismissed for failure to state an underlying constitutional deprivation.