Opinion ID: 1443178
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Minnesota Claims

Text: The district court also granted the county defendants' motion for summary judgment with regard to the Riehms' state law claims. David alleges that his confinement constituted false imprisonment. According to Minnesota common law, [A]n individual may not, without legal justification, be confined against her or his will. Gleason v. Metro. Council Transit Operations, 563 N.W.2d 309, 319 (Minn.Ct.App. 1997). Because we find that Diercks had legal justification to detain David, we reject this claim. The Riehms' state constitutional claims focus upon Article I, §§ 2 (Equal Protection), 7 (Due Process), 8 (Remedies), and 10 (Searches and Seizures). The Riehms appeal the district court's dismissal of their constitutional claims seeking damages. Minnesota courts explicitly refuse to find causes of action for damages under the Minnesota Constitution on their own unless the Minnesota Supreme Court has recognized the cause of action. See Mitchell v. Steffen, 487 N.W.2d 896, 905 (Minn.Ct.App.1992) (finding that even if cause of action for damages existed under the Minnesota Constitution, sovereign immunity barred torts for deprivation of constitutional rights), aff'd on other grounds, 504 N.W.2d 198 (Minn.1993); Bird v. State, Dep't of Pub. Safety, 375 N.W.2d 36, 40 (Minn.Ct.App.1985) (recognizing that Minnesota Supreme Court has not recognized any tort for the violation of due process rights). We agree with the district court that because the Minnesota Supreme Court has not established an action for damages for these constitutional violations, the Riehms' claims fail.