Opinion ID: 1316070
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Parties Appeal

Text: On December 9, 2006, DeSarro and Jacobs filed a timely notice of appeal from the District Court's denial of their motions for summary judgment on the basis of qualified and absolute immunity. On December 21, 2006, in light of Mitchell's death, the District Court granted a motion to substitute Patti-Lynn Mitchell in her representative capacity as the Executrix of the Estate of Timothy Mitchell, and that same day Mitchell's estate filed a timely notice of appeal from the denial of Mitchell's motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity. On December 20, 2006, the Walters moved in the District Court for entry of partial final judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 54(b), or in the alternative for certification of the District Court's summary judgment order for interlocutory appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), so that they could appeal the District Court's ruling that DeSarro and Jacobs were entitled to qualified immunity as to their failure to warn the Walters. On January 17, 2007, the District Court denied the Walters' motion for partial final judgment, but certified its November 29, 2006 summary judgment order for interlocutory appeal, writing that the issue of whether District Attorney Defendants Douglas J. Jacobs and Bruce DeSarro are entitled to qualified immunity as to (A) their participation in the elicitation of a confession from Joseph Stacy on August 16, 2001, and (B) their failure to warn Michael Walter of the threat posed by Mr. Stacy in the period leading up to Mr. Walter's murder involves a controlling question of law as to which there is substantial ground for difference of opinion, and [ ] an immediate appeal from the order may materially advance the ultimate termination of the litigation. Walter v. Pike County et al., 465 F.Supp.2d 409. We granted the Walters' petition for interlocutory appeal on March 1, 2007, and the Walters filed a timely notice of appeal the next day. Shortly thereafter, we ordered that the three appeals be consolidated.