Filed: Feb. 02, 2001
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-40735 Summary Calendar BRENDA JURGENS, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus WOOD COUNTY, TEXAS; ET AL, Defendants, WESLEY CRIDDLE, Deputy, Wood County, Texas Defendant-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 6:99-CV-677 - February 2, 1002 Before REAVLEY, JOLLY and JONES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Brenda Jurgens appeals the district court’s summary judgment dismissal of her 42
Summary: IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 00-40735 Summary Calendar BRENDA JURGENS, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus WOOD COUNTY, TEXAS; ET AL, Defendants, WESLEY CRIDDLE, Deputy, Wood County, Texas Defendant-Appellee. - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 6:99-CV-677 - February 2, 1002 Before REAVLEY, JOLLY and JONES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Brenda Jurgens appeals the district court’s summary judgment dismissal of her 42 U..
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IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
No. 00-40735
Summary Calendar
BRENDA JURGENS,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
WOOD COUNTY, TEXAS; ET AL,
Defendants,
WESLEY CRIDDLE, Deputy,
Wood County, Texas
Defendant-Appellee.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Texas
USDC No. 6:99-CV-677
--------------------
February 2, 1002
Before REAVLEY, JOLLY and JONES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Brenda Jurgens appeals the district court’s summary judgment
dismissal of her 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint and her state law
malicious prosecution claim. Jurgens contends that Deputy
Criddle violated her constitutional rights and Texas law by
unlawfully arresting and detaining her overnight in jail.
Jurgens contends that the district court erred in determining
that Deputy Criddle was entitled to qualified immunity on the 42
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
No. 00-40735
-2-
U.S.C. § 1983 claims and that Deputy Criddle was entitled to
official immunity on the malicious prosecution claim. We affirm.
The undisputed facts established that Deputy Tucker notified
Deputy Criddle that Jurgens appeared to be driving while
intoxicated. Jurgens admitted to Deputy Criddle that she had
consumed alcohol and prescription medication in the 24-hour
period prior to her arrest. When she exited her vehicle to
perform field sobriety tests, Jurgens used the door of the
vehicle for balance. She admitted that she has some problem with
balance as a result of a prior brain surgery. Jurgens also
admitted that she did not perform the sobriety tests perfectly.
“Objective reasonableness is a matter of law for the courts
to decide[.]” Goodson v. City of Corpus Christi,
202 F.3d 730,
736 (5th Cir. 2000)(internal quotations and citation omitted).
The pertinent inquiry is not whether Jurgens was intoxicated but
“whether a reasonable person would have believed that [the
officer’s] conduct conformed to the constitutional standard in
light of the information available to him and the clearly
established law.” See
id. (citation omitted); Gibson v. Rich,
44
F.3d 274, 278 n.7 (5th Cir. 1995).
A reasonable officer could have believed, under the
circumstances, that an arrest for driving while intoxicated was
lawful. See Babb v. Dorman,
33 F.3d 472, 477 (5th Cir. 1994).
The district court did not err in determining that Deputy
Criddle’s conduct was objectively reasonable and that he was
entitled to qualified immunity on the unlawful arrest claim.
No. 00-40735
-3-
In light of the undisputed facts known to Deputy Criddle at
the time of the detention, Deputy Criddle’s conduct in detaining
Jurgens’ overnight was not unreasonable. The district court did
not err in granting summary judgment on Jurgens’ 42 U.S.C. § 1983
unlawful detention claim.
Jurgens contends that Deputy Criddle, acting with malice,
arrested an innocent person without probable cause. She asserts
that Deputy Criddle is not entitled to official immunity for the
same reason that Deputy Criddle is not entitled to qualified
immunity.
“Texas law provides for immunity from suit for government
officials for matters arising from the performance of their
discretionary duties, as long as they are acting in good faith
and within the scope of their authority.” Wren v. Towe,
130 F.3d
1154, 1160 (5th Cir. 1997)(citation omitted). “Texas law of
official immunity is substantially the same as federal qualified
immunity law.”
Id. (citation omitted).
Jurgens’ allegation of malice is refuted by her own
testimony. The district court properly determined that Deputy
Criddle was entitled to official immunity. See Gibson v. Rich,
44 F.3d 274, 278 (5th Cir. 1995) (concluding that qualified
immunity on police officer’s arrest of suspected intoxicated
driver should extend to Texas law claims stemming from the
arrest). The punitive damages issue is moot.
AFFIRMED.