Opinion ID: 511045
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Directed Verdict in favor of the County

Text: 22 A local government may only be held liable under section 1983 when execution of a government's policy or custom, whether made by its lawmakers or by those whose edicts or acts may fairly be said to represent official policy, inflicts the injury. Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 694, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 2037-38, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978). A governmental entity cannot be held liable under section 1983 solely because it has a tortfeasor in its employ; that is, the local government cannot be held liable under section 1983 on a theory of respondeat superior. Id. at 691, 98 S.Ct. at 2036; Guillory v. County of Orange, 731 F.2d 1379, 1381 (9th Cir.1984). 23 Meehan argues that hostile acts prior to the March 10, 1983, raid, and the raid itself, sufficiently establish an unconstitutional policy of harassment or nonintervention. Meehan cites to City of Oklahoma v. Tuttle, 471 U.S. 808, 105 S.Ct. 2427, 85 L.Ed.2d 791 (1985), for the proposition that a single incident is sufficient to establish a policy or custom. However, the Tuttle Court concluded that: 24 Proof of a single incident of unconstitutional activity is not sufficient to impose liability under Monell, unless proof of the incident includes proof that it was caused by an existing, unconstitutional [local government] policy, which policy can be attributed to a [local government] policymaker. 25 Id. at 823-24, 105 S.Ct. at 2436. Local government liability under section 1983 attaches where--and only where--a deliberate choice to follow a course of action is made from among various alternatives by the official or officials responsible for establishing final policy with respect to the subject matter in question. Pembaur v. Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469, 483-84, 106 S.Ct. 1292, 1300, 89 L.Ed.2d 452 (1986) (emphasis added). 26 No evidence supports Meehan's contention that the County had an official policy of harassment or of nonintervention. Proof of unconstitutional assaults by SEB agents on December 21 and March 10, standing alone, does not support a finding of liability against the County. See City of St. Louis v. Praprotnik, --- U.S. ----, 108 S.Ct. 915, 924, 99 L.Ed.2d 107 (1988); Collins v. City of San Diego, 841 F.2d 337, 341-42 (9th Cir.1988). AFFIRMED. 2