Opinion ID: 2600181
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Stalter v. State

Text: On August 9, 1997, Kevin Lee Stalter was arrested by a Washington State Patrol trooper under a Pierce County warrant that had been issued for the arrest of one Robert John Stalter. [1] Although the warrant did not set forth any aliases for the person named in the warrant, a printout from a state patrol dispatcher listed the name Kevin Lee Stalter as an alias for Robert John Stalter. Kevin Stalter indicated to the arresting trooper that he was not Robert John Stalter but explained that he had a brother with that name who had used the alias Kevin in the past. Kevin Stalter's physical appearance differed from the individual described in the warrant by 27 pounds, four inches in height, and eye color. Furthermore, Kevin Stalter's birth date differed by over three years from the birth date listed on the warrant for Robert John Stalter. After his arrest, Kevin Stalter was brought to the Pierce County Jail for booking. While at the jail, Stalter was adamant that he had been misidentified. Consequently, the booking officer asked a senior officer for advice on how to deal with the situation. Stalter was then booked under the name Kevin Lee Stalter, rather than Robert John Stalter. At the time of Kevin Stalter's booking there was a file relating to Robert John Stalter at the jail. This file contained Robert John Stalter's photograph and information regarding the subject's birth date, height, weight, hair color, eye color, and scars. The jail booking officer was provided with a copy of the warrant under which the arrest of Kevin Stalter had been effected, and it referenced Robert John Stalter's file. Nevertheless, the booking officer did not retrieve or request the file because he was not aware of any policy requiring him to do so. The jail did, however, have a policy and procedure manual that required booking officers to obtain an extensive list of information from the individual being admitted to jail in order to make a positive identification. [2] Stalter's Clerk's Papers (SCP) at 114. Two days after being booked into the jail, Stalter was brought before the Pierce County Superior Court for his arraignment. At that time, Robert John Stalter's probation officer informed the court that the wrong man was in custody. Kevin Stalter was then released from jail. Kevin Stalter thereafter brought suit against Pierce County and others in Pierce County Superior Court for, inter alia, false imprisonment and negligence. Pierce County then moved for a summary judgment dismissing Stalter's complaint. The trial court granted the county's motion, reasoning that the jail had no duty to investigate Kevin Stalter's claim of misidentification because any such duty resided with the arresting officer. After Kevin Stalter's motion for reconsideration was denied, he appealed to Division Two of the Court of Appeals.