Springer

Springer v. Placer County

Good Law
338 F. App'x 587
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJune 18, 2009No. 08-15392California1,636 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM *

Debbie Morris, a Placer County social worker, appeals the district court’s order denying her motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity for her decision to take eight-year-old Christian Springer into protective custody without a warrant. The Springers sued Morris under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 , alleging that Morris violated the family’s Fourteenth Amendment right to familial association and Christian’s Fourth Amendment right to freedom from unreasonable seizures. The district court originally granted Morris’s motion for summary judgment. On reconsideration, however, the district court struck one of Morris’s statements and denied summary judgment, holding that the remaining undisputed evidence did not establish that Morris had reasonable cause to take Christian into custody.

We have jurisdiction over Morris’s interlocutory appeal because the ground for her motion was qualified immunity. Lee v. Gregory, 363 F.3d 931, 932 (9th Cir.2004). We reverse and grant qualified immunity.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The following facts are undisputed. On the afternoon of February 1, 2005, a teacher at Antelope Creek School noticed red marks on eight-year-old Christian Springer’s…

Sign in to read the full opinion

Create a free account to read the complete opinion text, citation history, and good-law status for this case.