Opinion ID: 1954604
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Ocean City's Liability For Federal And State Constitutional Claims

Text: We have discussed above the considerations bearing on whether, and to what extent, the City may be liable for damages arising from Davis's claims under § 1983 and under the State Constitution. The Court of Special Appeals found it unnecessary to address the City's possible liability with respect to those claims on the ground that Davis had failed to preserve his complaint that the trial court erred in entering judgment for the City. The appellate court noted that Davis's brief presented only a glancing reference to Ocean City's liability for any constitutional violations; virtually the entire discussion focuses on Officer DiPino, and it regarded that fleeting mention as insufficient to present an issue that the court was required to address. Davis v. DiPino, supra, 121 Md. App. at 79, 708 A.2d at 382. Davis complained about that ruling in his cross-petition for certiorari, and the issue is therefore before us. It is true that, if a point germane to the appeal is not adequately raised in a party's brief, the court may, and ordinarily should, decline to address it. Health Serv. Cost Rev. v. Lutheran Hosp., 298 Md. 651, 664, 472 A.2d 55, 61 (1984). Apart from the fact that Maryland Rule 8-504(a)(5) requires the brief to contain argument, it would normally be unfair to the other party for the court to rule adversely to that party on an issue that was not properly presented and on which the party therefore had no adequate opportunity to respond. In this case, however, we think that the Court of Special Appeals misapplied the rule. The circuit court entered judgment for the City solely on the basis that Officer DiPino had probable cause to effect Davis's arrest and that, as a result, neither she nor the City violated any of his Federal or State Constitutional rights. The court made no finding particular to the Citythat it had some immunity or was otherwise not responsible for wrongful conduct on the part of DiPino. The principal issues on appeal as to DiPino and the City were the samewhether, as a matter of State law, DiPino had probable cause to believe that Davis had committed the crime of hindering her in the enforcement of her police duties and, if so, whether Davis's remarks were nonetheless protected by the First Amendment. If, as occurred, the appellate court were to find for Davis on either of those issues, the case would have to be remanded for further proceedings as to both defendants. The judgment for the City was tied inextricably to the judgment for DiPino, both substantively and by virtue of the LGTCA, and it could not legitimately stand in the face of the court's ruling on the probable cause issue. To affirm that judgment after finding that it had no legal basis was inappropriate. Ordinarily, in a situation such as this, we would remand the case for the Court of Special Appeals to address the unaddressed issue. There is no need to do so in this case, however. We have ruled upon the probable cause issue and offered guidance on the immunity issues. We shall vacate that part of the Court of Special Appeals judgment so that the circuit court, on remand, will have the entire case as to DiPino and the City before it.