Court Opinion

ID: 9718905
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:37:25.954575+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:03.425143
License: Public Domain

GALLAGHER, Associate Judge, Retired,
dissenting:
I believe the trial court was correct in granting the motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict against the District of Columbia. It was in August 1974, after Officer Morgan had threatened to kill his wife and dozed off in a chair with a gun in his hand, that his wife departed and reported the incident to the precinct captain. The captain later phoned the wife and said he had talked to Officer Morgan and the captain thought it might be best if the couple separated.
Three months later (November 7), Officer Morgan appeared at his wife’s apartment and shortly thereafter choked her into unconsciousness. Then came the series of incidents related in the majority opinion, culminating in the tragic shooting death and series of three shooting injuries.
I do not find the necessary factual ingredients of proximate cause present, especially given the long span (over three months) between the wife’s report to the police and the criminal acts.
This decision has the potential to bring about undeserved verdicts against the city with great financial loss to what is apparently regarded as the “deep pockets” of the District of Columbia. The “employer” burden placed here on the District of Columbia as a matter of law will invite dangerous abuse.
Tragic as the death and injuries were, I do not think they are civilly ascribable to the District of Columbia government. Employers should not be called upon to suffer liability for crime committed by employees in their private lives.