Court Opinion

ID: 9913025
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-26 18:00:45.096541+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:06:51.553477
License: Public Domain

FOR PUBLICATION

  UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
       FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JOHN J. CRUZ,                     No. 21-35912

           Plaintiff-Appellee,   D.C. No. 2:20-cv-
                                   00250-SAB
 v.

CITY OF SPOKANE;                      ORDER
WASHINGTON STATE CRIMINAL WITHDRAWING
JUSTICE TRAINING                     CERTIFIED
COMMISSION, a state commission;      QUESTION
RICK BOWEN, Commander of the
Washington State Criminal Justice
Training Commission Basic Law
Enforcement Academy; JOHN
EVERLY, Police Officer at the
Spokane Police Department and
Assistant Commander of the
Washington State Criminal Justice
Training Commission Basic Law
Enforcement Academy; ART
DOLLARD, Police Officer at the
Spokane Police Department and TAC
Officer at the Washington State
Criminal Justice Training Commission
Basic Law Enforcement Academy;
JAKE JENSEN, Police Officer at the
Spokane Police Department and TAC
2                   CRUZ V. CITY OF SPOKANE

Officer at the Washington State
Criminal Justice Training Commission
Basic Law Enforcement Academy;
TODD BELITZ, Police Officer at the
Spokane Police Department and TAC
Officer at the Washington State
Criminal Justice Training Commission
Basic Law Enforcement Academy;
SUE RAHR, Executive Director of the
Washington State Criminal Justice
Training Commission,

                Defendants-Appellants,
    and

FERRY COUNTY; CITY OF
REPUBLIC, a municipal corporation;
RAY MAYCUMBER, Ferry County
Sheriff; AMY ROOKER, Ferry
County Chief Civil Deputy; AUSTIN
HERSHAW, Police Officer at the
Black Diamond Police Department;
PATRICK RAINER, Detective at the
Ferry County Sheriff's Office,

                Defendants.

         Appeal from the United States District Court
            for the Eastern District of Washington
      Stanley A. Bastian, Chief District Judge, Presiding

           Argued and Submitted March 30, 2023
           Submission Withdrawn April 28, 2023
                     CRUZ V. CITY OF SPOKANE                        3

                Resubmitted December 26, 2023
                     Seattle, Washington

                    Filed December 26, 2023

     Before: Jacqueline H. Nguyen and Andrew D. Hurwitz,
     Circuit Judges, and Dean D. Pregerson, * District Judge.

                          SUMMARY **

                      Voluntary Dismissal

     The panel granted the parties’ joint stipulated motion to
voluntarily dismiss the appeal, withdraw a question that the
panel had certified to the Washington Supreme Court
relating to the scope of immunity provided by RCW
43.101.390, and remand to the district court for dismissal of
all claims against State Appellants.

                           COUNSEL

Heidi S. Holland (argued), Attorney; Taylor Hennessey,
Acting Assistant Attorney General, Tort Claims Division;
Robert W. Ferguson, Washington Attorney General;
Washington Attorney General’s Office, Spokane,

*
 The Honorable Dean D. Pregerson, United States District Judge for the
Central District of California, sitting by designation.
**
  This summary constitutes no part of the opinion of the court. It has
been prepared by court staff for the convenience of the reader.
4                   CRUZ V. CITY OF SPOKANE

Washington; Julie A. Turley, Assistant Attorney General,
Washington Attorney General’s Office, Olympia,
Washington; for Defendant-Appellant.
Nathan J. Arnold (argued) and Emanuel F. Jacobowitz,
Arnold & Jacobowitz PLLC, Redmond, Washington, for
Plaintiff-Appellee.

                           ORDER

   On April 28, 2023, we certified to the Washington
Supreme Court a question relating to the proper scope of
immunity provided by RCW 43.101.390. Dkt. No. 45. The
Washington Supreme Court accepted the certified question
on May 1, 2023. Dkt. No. 52. Thereafter, both the
Washington Supreme Court and our court stayed
proceedings while the parties engaged in mediation. Dkt.
Nos. 55, 56.
    On December 14, 2023, the parties filed a joint
Stipulated Motion to Voluntarily Dismiss Appeal, Withdraw
the Certified Question, and Remand for Dismissal. Dkt. No.
63. The Motion is hereby GRANTED.
    Therefore, we now withdraw the prior certified question
to the Washington Supreme Court. The matter is remanded
for the district court to dismiss all claims against State
Appellants. The Clerk of Court is ordered to transmit to the
Washington Supreme Court, under official seal of the Ninth
Circuit, this order. A copy of this order served on the district
court shall act as and for the mandate of this court.
    Each side shall bear their own costs.
    It is so ORDERED.