Opinion ID: 391404
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Property Retention Claim

Text: 100 1. Officer Norman and the property retention claim. Our case law indicates that continued retention by police officers of allegedly stolen property, as distinct from the initial seizure of that property, may in some circumstances be a constitutional deprivation. See Reimer v. Short, 578 F.2d 621, 628-29 (5th Cir. 1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 947, 99 S.Ct. 1425, 59 L.Ed.2d 635 (1979); Clayton v. Shaw, 548 F.2d 1155 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 873, 98 S.Ct. 220, 54 L.Ed.2d 153 (1977); Snell v. Short, 544 F.2d 1289, 1291 (5th Cir. 1977). Officer Norman did not argue in the district court that summary judgment should be granted because the retention of the property seized from the apartment was not a violation of Barker's constitutional rights; indeed, neither he nor the district court distinguished this cause of action from that arising from the original seizure. Obviously, it is one thing to say that Officer Norman was justified in seizing the property in the first place, and entirely another to say that he was justified in retaining it under the possibly different set of circumstances that existed when and if it became clear that the property was not going to be used as evidence against Barker and Barker demanded its return. 101 Officer Norman admits in his answers to Barker's requests for admissions that he still has possession of some of the property that was seized from Barker's apartment. As is also true with the cause of action for the initial seizure, there is some discrepancy between the property listed by Barker as having been unlawfully retained and that which Officer Norman admits to retaining. Moreover, there is a genuine issue of fact as to whether Barker has ever demanded the property's return: Barker asserts in his verified complaint that Officer Norman has refused to return the property; yet the implication of Officer Norman's affidavit and answers to requests for admissions is that Officer Norman has offered to return the property, but Barker never demanded its return and in fact told Officer Norman that he did not care to get the property back. Summary judgment, therefore, could not properly have been granted on this record on the ground that there was no genuine issue as to whether Officer Norman engaged in the complained-of conduct. 102 Further, if Barker's version of the facts is correct, as must be assumed at this stage because those facts are genuinely disputed, it is by no means obvious that Officer Norman's conduct has not infringed Barker's civil rights. 27 103 With regard to Officer Norman's entitlement to claim official immunity from section 1983 liability on this cause of action, the sole justification he has proffered for keeping the property is that he believes it to have been stolen. Other than this assertion, he has established no objective circumstances from which one could conclude that his retention of the property was undertaken pursuant to the performance of his duties and within the scope of his authority. We note that a policeman's duties in these circumstances are somewhat analogous to those of a jailer or custodian; because there is less discretion inherent in these duties, under Douthit and the other cases discussed above in part III-A -1 of this opinion, the showing that Officer Norman must make to establish his entitlement to claim immunity is higher for this cause of action than for the apartment search or initial property seizure. We conclude that Officer Norman has not established his entitlement to claim official immunity from liability for this cause of action; this pretermits the second half of qualified immunity analysis, which has to do with Officer Norman's good faith. Summary judgment in Officer Norman's favor on this claim was improper on this record. 104 2. Agent Ballas and the property retention claim. As is true with the apartment search and property seizure causes of action, see part IV-B -2 of this opinion, supra, Agent Ballas' summary judgment materials establish that there is no genuine issue of fact as to whether he has had any knowledge of or involvement in the retention by Officer Norman of the property seized from Barker's apartment. Barker introduced no controverting summary judgment material, competent or incompetent, and has not even suggested the possible existence of such material. Summary judgment in Agent Ballas' favor on this cause of action was, therefore, appropriate on the ground that there was no genuine issue of fact as to whether he had engaged in the complained-of conduct. We affirm on that ground.