Opinion ID: 2975223
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State Created Danger Theory of Liability

Text: Even if the “state created danger” doctrine is the correct legal standard for analyzing their § 1983 claim, the Plaintiffs-Appellants say that the Jones Court’s application of the doctrine was in error and should not control in the instant case. Specifically, the Plaintiffs-Appellants say that the Court should either overrule the Jones Court’s application of the state created danger doctrine or request en banc review to resolve what they see as a conflict between this Court’s decision in Jones and conflicting Supreme Court and Sister Circuit precedent. Defendants-Appellees, in contrast, No. 06-1959 Draw, et al. v. City of Lincoln Park, et al. Page 6 argue that no basis exists for the Court to either overturn its decision in Jones or request en banc review of the instant case. In the Sixth Circuit, prior published decisions are controlling unless inconsistent with a decision of the United States Supreme Court or the Sixth Circuit sitting en banc. Schoenberger v. Russel, 290 F.3d 831, 841 (6th Cir. 2002) (“...one panel of this Court cannot overturn a decision of another panel; only the Court sitting en banc may do so.”). Because no such inconsistency exists in this case, the Court agrees with the Defendants-Appellees that the Jones Court’s application of the state created danger doctrine is controlling.