Opinion ID: 1359837
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the arresting officers

Text: A police officer is not liable for false arrest or imprisonment when he acts pursuant to a warrant that is valid on its face. Strung v. Anderson, 529 P.2d 1380 (Mont. 1975). See Brendel v. County of Pima, 121 Ariz. 451, 591 P.2d 77 (Ariz. App. 1979); Clipse v. Gillis, 20 Wash. App. 691, 582 P.2d 555 (Wash. App. 1978); J. Dooley, 3 Modern Tort Law § 42.13 at 190-91 (1977). The facially valid warrant provides the legal cause or justification for the arrest, in the same way that an arrest made with probable cause is privileged and not actionable. See Hernandez v. City of Reno, 97 Nev. 429, 634 P.2d 668 (1981); Grover v. County of Clark, 97 Nev. 104, 625 P.2d 85 (1981); Cullison v. City of Peoria, 120 Ariz. 165, 584 P.2d 1156 (Ariz. 1978). In the instant case, the warrant appeared regular in form, although the signature had been made by a rubber stamp. Appellants provide no authority indicating that a facsimile signature does not satisfy NRS 171.108. [1] Respondents accompanied their summary judgment motion with an affidavit indicating that Judge Legakes has adopted this facsimile signature as his regular signature on bench warrants. There is no competent evidence in the record indicating that Judge Legakes did not review the warrant. As the bench warrant was valid on its face, Officers Freeman, Blair, and Presbrey may not be held liable for Nelson's arrest. Appellants contend that the warrant was void on its face because a parking violation is not criminal. This contention lacks merit. The ordinance governing the June 1974 citation in issue made any violation of the ordinance, including overtime parking, a misdemeanor. Clark County Ordinance 185 §§ 6, 8 (1963) (codified at Clark County Code § 20.08 (1966)). [2] Moreover, the warrant was issued for Nelson's failure to appear, not for the parking violation. Under the county's general traffic laws, overtime parking is a misdemeanor, and a warrant will issue if a driver fails to comply with a citation issued to the vehicle he was using. Clark County Code §§ 14.40.030-14.40.050, 14.64.060-14.64.080 (1966).