83-853 | SCOTUS | Feb 21, 1984
Dissenting Opinion
Justice White,
dissenting.
Petitioners, representatives of the estates of individuals killed in a one-car accident in Joliet, Ill., filed complaints in Federal Dis
The District Court denied respondents’ motion to dismiss the complaints for failure to state a cause of action. The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, however, reversed, concluding that an attempt by state officers to assist at an accident does not result in the deprivation of a constitutional right when the attempt fails because of the negligence or gross negligence of the officers. 715 F.2d 1200" court="7th Cir." date_filed="1983-08-23" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/james-jackson-v-city-of-joliet-423960?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="423960">715 F. 2d 1200 (1983).
In reaching its conclusion, the Court of Appeals noted that “[n]o problem so perplexes the federal courts today as determining the outer bounds of section 1 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, 42 U. S. C. §1983 . . . .” Id., at 1201. Section 1983 actions have been brought in a variety of contexts by those injured as a result of a state official’s failure to exercise adequate care in carrying out his duties. Clark v. Taylor, 710 F.2d 4" court="1st Cir." date_filed="1983-06-17" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/sidney-a-clark-v-donald-taylor-420691?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="420691">710 F. 2d 4 (CA1 1983); Morrison v. Washington County, 700 F.2d 678" court="11th Cir." date_filed="1983-03-17" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/bertha-morrison-v-washington-county-alabama-414437?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="414437">700 F. 2d 678 (CA11), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 864" court="SCOTUS" date_filed="1983-10-03" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/astilleros-espanoles-sa-v-standard-oil-co-9281248?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="9281248">464 U. S. 864 (1983); Hull v. Duncanville, 678 F.2d 582" court="5th Cir." date_filed="1982-06-16" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/archie-l-hull-individually-and-as-next-friend-and-natural-father-of-rodney-lee-hull-v-city-of-duncanville-403799?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="403799">678 F. 2d 582 (CA5 1982); Hirst v. Gertzen, 676 F.2d 1252" court="9th Cir." date_filed="1982-05-10" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/james-hirst-v-jean-gertzen-403388?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="403388">676 F. 2d 1252 (CA9 1982); Doe v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, 649 F.2d 134" court="2d Cir." date_filed="1981-05-13" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/maria-doe-v-new-york-city-department-of-social-services-390440?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="390440">649 F. 2d 134 (CA2 1981), after remand to District Court, 709 F.2d 782" court="2d Cir." date_filed="1983-06-02" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/maria-doe-v-new-york-city-department-of-social-services-419923?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="419923">709 F. 2d 782 (CA2 1982), cert. denied sub nom. Catholic Home Bureau v. Doe, 464 U. S. 864 (1983). The results in these cases have not been entirely consistent. While the Court of Appeals in the present case determined that the State’s failure to provide adequate rescue services was not actionable under § 1983, other courts have permitted relief under that section when a foster parent’s abuse of his foster child was permitted by the state agency’s failure adequately to monitor the foster care environment, Doe v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, supra, and when a patient’s death was allegedly caused by the manner in which he was discharged by a state hospital, Morrison,
Lead Opinion
C. A. 7th Cir. Certiorari denied.