County of Los Angeles v. Superior Court

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs Charles William West, his wife Alane Marie West, and their two related business interests brought an action against the County of Los Angeles (the County), District Attorney Steve N. Cooley, chief administrative officer (CAO) David Janssen, and others, seeking damages for violation of their civil rights under Civil Code section 52.1 and section 1983 of title 42 of the United States Code (section 1983), for breach of bailment, and seeking an injunction. The allegations at issue all stem from injuries plaintiffs alleged they suffered when the district attorney’s office searched and seized plaintiffs’ property pursuant to a warrant, and retained and damaged some of that property. All defendants moved for summary adjudication of the first four causes of action. The County and district attorney (defendants) raised statutory immunity from liability as grounds. The remaining four defendants, Janssen, Harper, McCauley, and Henry (herein referred to as the administrative defendants or, together with defendants, as all defendants), argued that after the trial court sustained their demurrer to the first amended complaint with leave to amend, plaintiffs filed…