Opinion ID: 475472
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant Sheriff Thompson

Text: 6 The district court ruled that plaintiff's evidence was insufficient to show personal involvement by Sheriff Gervase Thompson. In its judgment notwithstanding the verdict, the district court ruled that Thompson was not directly involved in the decision to prosecute Kunzelman. At oral argument plaintiff's counsel conceded that the evidence against Thompson was slim. The only evidence linking Thompson to the criminal prosecution attempt was his county relationship with Berkos. Plaintiff contends that the fact that Thompson and Berkos had lunch on a daily basis and discussed (at least informally) Kunzelman's prosecution was evidence of Thompson's involvement. The plaintiff further argues that Thompson's involvement can be inferred from his failure to discourage Berkos actively. This evidence could in no way support a finding of liability on the part of Thompson. While plaintiff argues that Thompson's inaction should be sufficient personal involvement, such involvement requires more than motive, more than a desire to take action, more than support and encouragement--it takes some act to infer that the defendant has assisted the violation. Hampton v. Hanrahan, 600 F.2d 600, 630 (7th Cir.1979), reversed on other grounds, 446 U.S. 754, 101 S.Ct. 411, 66 L.Ed.2d 308. It is arguable that given a duty to act, inaction would be sufficient evidence of personal active involvement, but such is not the case here. Thompson had no duty or responsibility to ensure that the district attorney's office exercised its prosecutorial discretion in a manner that did not offend citizens' constitutional rights. The district court was correct in holding that as a matter of law there was not sufficient evidence to show that Thompson was personally involved in initiating Kunzelman's prosecution.