Opinion ID: 483247
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Summary as to the Claims Against the County

Text: 113 To summarize, we find no error in the district court's discovery and evidentiary rulings on plaintiffs' claims against the County. Since plaintiffs failed to establish any liability on the part of the County with respect to conduct during the period January 1, 1973, to December 31, 1975, the judgment dismissing the complaint against the county is affirmed to that extent. 114 The period covered by the liability trial of the claims against the County was, however, improperly shortened by reason of the district court's failure to apply the proper statute-of-limitations tolling rules. Plaintiffs are entitled to a trial with respect to the County's liability for claims under either Sec. 1983 or RICO accruing at least as early as December 2, 1971, i.e., three years prior to the filing of their state court putative class action. The district court or the jury may conclude that this period should be extended to an even earlier time on the basis of the tolling-by-duress principles discussed above. 115 Finally, we note that although, for the jurisdictional reasons stated in Parts II.A. and B. above, we have dealt here only with plaintiffs' claims against the County, it may well be that our rulings on the tolling of the Sec. 1983 claims against the County, as well as our rulings with respect to Landi's claims against the other defendants (see Part IV.B.1. below), would have equal applicability to the Sec. 1983 claims still pending against the other three defendants. As stated in Part II.C.4. above, the district court has the power to reconsider its extant interlocutory rulings.