Filed: Apr. 27, 2005
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 27, 2005 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-30660 Summary Calendar DAMITA JO JENKINS MCNEAL; JAMES MCNEAL, Plaintiffs-Appellants, BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY AND WAREHOUSE OF SHREVEPORT, INC., ET AL., Defendants, versus JIM ROBERTS, Chief of Police Shreveport Police Department; CITY OF SHREVEPORT; S. MACK; L. MONTGOMERY, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States Dist
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 27, 2005 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 04-30660 Summary Calendar DAMITA JO JENKINS MCNEAL; JAMES MCNEAL, Plaintiffs-Appellants, BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY AND WAREHOUSE OF SHREVEPORT, INC., ET AL., Defendants, versus JIM ROBERTS, Chief of Police Shreveport Police Department; CITY OF SHREVEPORT; S. MACK; L. MONTGOMERY, Defendants-Appellees. - Appeal from the United States Distr..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT April 27, 2005
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 04-30660
Summary Calendar
DAMITA JO JENKINS MCNEAL; JAMES MCNEAL,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY AND WAREHOUSE OF SHREVEPORT,
INC., ET AL.,
Defendants,
versus
JIM ROBERTS, Chief of Police Shreveport Police Department;
CITY OF SHREVEPORT; S. MACK; L. MONTGOMERY,
Defendants-Appellees.
--------------------
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Louisiana
(5:03-CV-280-SMH-RSP)
--------------------
Before WIENER, BENAVIDES, and STEWART, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Plaintiffs-Appellants Damita Jo Jenkins McNeal (“Damita”) and
her husband, James McNeal (“James”), appeal the summary-judgment
dismissal of their claims against Jim Roberts, Chief of the
Shreveport Police Department, the City of Shreveport, and police
officers Layne Montgomery and Shannon Mack. The McNeals’ claims
*
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this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except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.
stem from searches of Damita’s person conducted by Officer
Montgomery and Officer Mack. The officers were called after
security sensors activated as Damita was exiting a Burlington Coat
Factory and Warehouse store in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Damita claimed that she was subjected to cruel and unusual
punishment and to an illegal body cavity search, in violation of
the Fourth and Eighth Amendments. She asserted claims under
42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988 against Roberts, Montgomery, and Mack,
as well as a tort claim against the City under the doctrine of
respondeat superior. James asserted a claim for loss of consortium
and society.
The McNeals argue that the district court erred in granting
summary judgment on Damita’s Fourth Amendment illegal search claim.
They contend that Damita’s consent to search was not freely and
voluntarily given, and that Officer Montgomery and Officer Mack are
not entitled to qualified immunity.
The McNeals came forward with evidence that, prior to the
officers’ arrival, a store employee told Damita that she was not
free to leave until she was searched. In view of this evidence, we
agree with the McNeals that there was a genuine issue of material
fact as to the voluntariness of Damita’s consent. See Celotex
Corp. v. Catrett,
477 U.S. 317, 324 (1986); United States v.
Tompkins,
130 F.3d 117, 121 (5th Cir. 1997).
We affirm, however, the district court’s grant of summary
judgment in favor of Officer Montgomery and Officer Mack on grounds
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of qualified immunity. The doctrine of qualified immunity shields
an officer from suit if the officer’s actions were reasonable “in
light of clearly established law and the information the . . .
officers possessed.” Anderson v. Creighton,
483 U.S. 635, 641
(1987). Here, Damita’s deposition reveals that she told Officer
Montgomery that she had no objection to being searched and that she
stated that she had no objection to a female officer (Mack) being
called. Damita’s testimony also reveals that she cooperated with
the officers and did not refuse any of their requests. In view of
the evidence, Officers Montgomery and Mack are entitled to summary
judgment because their actions were objectively reasonable under
the circumstances. See Mangieri v. Clifton,
29 F.3d 1012, 1016
(5th Cir. 1994).
The McNeals have briefed no contentions on appeal regarding
the district court’s dismissal of Damita’s Eighth Amendment claim
or its dismissal of her claims against Roberts, her claims against
the City of Shreveport, or James’s claim for loss of consortium.
See
id. The McNeals have waived these claims by failing to brief
them. See Yohey v. Collins,
985 F.2d 222, 225 (5th Cir. 1993).
AFFIRMED.
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