Opinion ID: 775072
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dismissal of Police Chief Lau

Text: 31 Before trial, the magistrate judge granted Appellees' motion in limine seeking to dismiss Police Chief Lau based on the absence of respondeat superior liability. Appellees argue that we should apply the same abuse of discretion standard in reviewing this decision as we apply to all decisions on motions in limine. This was not a typical motion in limine about an evidentiary issue, see Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 40 n.2 (1984), but rather a dispositive ruling akin to a dismissal under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). Therefore, we review the order dismissing Chief Lau, as we would any Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal, de novo. In either case, we conclude that predicating Chief Lau's potential liability solely on a respondeat superior theory was a mistake of law. 32 Chief Lau could be held liable in his individual capacity if he knowingly refused to terminate a series of acts by others, which he knew or reasonably should have known would cause others to inflict a constitutional injury. See Watkins v. City of Oakland, 145 F.3d 1087, 1093 (9th Cir. 1998); Larez v. City of Los Angeles, 946 F.2d 630, 646 (9th Cir. 1991) (upholding a similar jury instruction in a §§ 1983 suit against Chief of LAPD). In addition, he could be liable based on hisown culpable action or inaction in the training, supervision, or control of his subordinates, Larez, 946 F.2d at 646 (quoting Clay v. Conlee, 815 F.2d 1164, 1170 (8th Cir. 1987)); or his acquiesce[nce] in the constitutional deprivations of which [the] complaint is made, id. (quoting Meade v. Grubbs, 841 F.2d 1512, 1528 (10th Cir. 1988)). Testimony revealed that it was common practice in the San Francisco police department to use citizen's arrest forms without specifying who should be arrested and for what violation. Captain Martel testified that officers were trained to use the citizen's arrest forms in this way and that it was common knowledge that the forms were used in this way. Therefore, we reverse the magistrate judge's decision dismissing Chief Lau and remand for a determination on liability.