Opinion ID: 797053
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: City of Bridgeport

Text: 73 Russo also alleged that the City of Bridgeport failed to train and supervise its officers in the handling of exculpatory evidence. Municipal liability under § 1983 for the conduct of employees below the policymaking level requires that a plaintiff show a violation of his constitutional rights that resulted from a municipal custom or policy. See Dwares v. City of New York, 985 F.2d 94, 100 (2d Cir.1993); Monell v. Dep't of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 694, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978). Having rejected Russo's claim of a violation of his constitutional rights, the court below failed to make any factual findings as to the City's policies with respect to police department handling of exculpatory evidence or with regard to the local implementation of Conn. Gen.Stat. § 54-86c(c), which enumerates a state police officer's duty to disclose exculpatory evidence to the state attorney. Nor did the court examine the application of municipal policies by the police department or the individual defendants. 74 Nevertheless, the City has admitted, in its supplemental responses to Russo's requests for admissions, that all individual defendants . . . acted toward the Plaintiff in accordance with custom, policy and practice. We understand this to constitute an admission that, if officers DePietro and Borona are ultimately held to have violated Russo's constitutional rights, then municipal liability against the City will be appropriate as well. Accordingly, given our holdings with respect to Russo's constitutional claims against DePietro and Borona, summary judgment was inappropriate with respect to Russo's claim against the City.