Opinion ID: 547536
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sheriff Robinson

Text: 10 The magistrate found that absent any demonstration of a policy of wrongful detention established by the sheriff or of his personal knowledge/participation in plaintiff's detention, Webster's claim was based on respondeat superior, which is not a viable theory of recovery under section 1983. 11 Webster alleged in his complaint and written objections to the magistrate's findings and recommendations that the sheriff knowingly and wrongfully detained him. In the Statement of Claims section of his complaint, Webster alleges that James Robinson, Sheriff of Ashley County on 9-30-88 detained me without a warrant or legal cause of action.... I was detained 33 days without a warrant or hearing to determine the Sheriffs [sic] cause of detainment. In addition, in Webster's written objections to the magistrate's findings, he alleges that the sheriff was aware of and directly involved in his detention and knew that there was a statutory requirement regarding detention of an individual, and that the sheriff participated in Webster's detention. Designated Record at 21. 12 We must construe the pleadings of pro se plaintiffs liberally. See Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 92 S.Ct. 594, 30 L.Ed.2d 652, reh'g denied, 405 U.S. 948, 92 S.Ct. 963, 30 L.Ed.2d 819 (1972); Taylor v. Gibson, 529 F.2d 709, 713-14 (5th Cir.1976) (section 1983 action). The Supreme Court held in Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 109 S.Ct. 1827, 104 L.Ed.2d 338 (1989), that since dismissals under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915 are made early in the proceedings, before service of process on the defendant, the trial court should permit the cause of action to proceed to the responsive pleadings stage, unless there is indisputably absent any factual or legal basis. Id. 109 S.Ct. at 1830. In Williams v. White, 897 F.2d 942 (8th Cir.1990), we stated that section 1915 dismissals should be made only where it is determined the lawsuit is baseless and that the plaintiff cannot make any rational argument in law or fact entitling him to relief. Id. at 944. 13 Liberally construed, Webster's allegations that the sheriff was aware of and directly involved in his detention for forty-five days without a probable cause hearing and knew that there was a statutory requirement regarding detention of an individual were sufficient to show the sheriff's knowledge of Webster's wrongful detention. Therefore, Webster's claim against the sheriff was not based on a respondeat superior theory. Webster alleges that the sheriff's conduct violated Webster's clearly established constitutional right of which a reasonable person would have known. See Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). For the foregoing reasons, we conclude only that the court erred in its section 1915(d) dismissal of the sheriff.