Coffey

Coffey v. Mugler

Good Law
68 F. App'x 822
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJune 18, 2003Nos. 02-35401, 02-35493; D.C. No. CV-01-05042-BJRCalifornia358 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Walter Coffey appeals the district court’s decision granting summary judgment on his malicious prosecution claim against Fred, Richard, and Suzanne Mugler; Eileen Peterson, and Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim, a professional corporation; Keith Klovee-Smith, and Keith Klovee-Smith, Inc., a Washington corporation. Coffey claims the district court erred in holding that his action was time-barred, and erred in deciding that defendants Peterson and Klovee-Smith were entitled to immunity.

Without reaching the merits of the Coffey’s claim, we find that the district court did not err in deciding that his claim was barred by the statue of limitations, and in dismissing his claim in its entirety.

First, the parties disagree as to whether the statute of limitations runs within two or three years after the cause of action has accrued. In the absence of controlling Washington state law as to what statute of limitations applied to malicious prosecution actions, the district court applied the longer catch-all statute which controls in the case of “any other injury to the person or rights of another not hereinafter enumerated.” Wash. Rev.Code Ann. §…

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