Court Opinion

ID: 9591200
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:02:56.837632+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:08.258074
License: Public Domain

Been, Presiding Judge,
dissenting in part.
In order to impose liability upon the City of Roswell under 42 USC § 1983, three requirements must be met:
(1) The City intentionally and deliberately instituted or authorized a policy or custom;
(2) Which was corrupt or impermissible; and
(3) Which “caused” Officer Ramey to violate the plaintiff’s constitutional rights.
Monell v. Dept. of Social Services, 436 U. S. 658 (98 SC 2018, 56 LE2d 611) (1978); Davis v. City of Roswell, 250 Ga. 8 (295 SE2d 317) (1982); City of Cave Spring v. Mason, 252 Ga. 3 (310 SE2d 892) (1984).
The trial judge, after reviewing the record, stated that he was “unable to find any evidence that Defendant Ramey acted improperly or that his actions violated the Plaintiff’s civil rights. Further, the Court has been unable to find any evidence that either Defendant City of Roswell or Defendant Terry L. Joyner established or ratified a policy or took any other action sufficient to impose liability upon them under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.”
We have reviewed the evidence and conclude that the trial court did not err in granting the defendant’s motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict.
While by hindsight the policy of “officer discretion” as to emergency medical situations might have dictated that the officer escort the appellant to the hospital, we can say as a matter of law and fact that the City’s policy, and the evidence in this case as to the acts performed by the officer, were not so unreasonable as to impose liabil*420ity. I would affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Decided March 14, 1985
Rehearing denied March 29, 1985
Clifford H. Hardwick, for appellant.
Dennis J. Webb, Brian A. Boyle, for appellees.
Richard K. Greenstein, amicus curiae.
I am authorized to state that Judge Pope and Judge Beasley join in this dissent.