Jimenez

This is an appeal from a judgment in a case alleging a civil rights violation ( 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (section 1983)), premised on the theory of an unreasonably extended detention until appellant was cleared by DNA testing of the rape and related charges against him. The trial court granted summary judgment against plaintiff Jose Luis Jimenez and in favor of defendants County of Los Angeles, Detective Ruthie Sauls and Detective Steve Blagg. We affirm, as after the officers acted with abundant probable cause for arrest, there was no undue delay regarding plaintiff’s ultimate vindication and release, no substantive due process violation, and no loss of qualified immunity by the officers.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL SUMMARY

In July of 2001, a 14-year-old mentally challenged girl was raped in the back of a van at Lynwood Park in Los Angeles. She gave to Detective Sauls a physical description of the assailant and a description of the van. The victim also worked with a sketch artist, who then prepared a composite drawing of the suspect. Two days later, Detective Sauls interviewed several witnesses at Lynwood Park who recalled seeing a van matching the description of the suspect’s van…