Supreme Court of California

County and sheriff's department cannot be found liable for failure to provide adequate security against third-party violence inside a county courthouse; claims by minor children of a woman who was shot to death by her husband were properly dismissed.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/20/2002
• Published 05/20/2002

Judges

• GEORGE, C.J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Talcott, Lightfoot, Vandevelde & Sadowsky, Talcott, Lightfoot, Vandevelde, Sadowsky, Medvene & Levine, John D. Vandevelde, Melissa N. Widdifield, Stephen B. Sadowsky, Los Angeles, and Edward M. Medvene for Plaintiffs and Appellants., California Women's Law Center, Susan Berke Fogel, Los Angeles, Marci Fukuroda;  Kelley & Kelley and Pamela Kelley for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Break the Cycle, the California National Organization for Women, California Women's Law Center, Coalition of Women from Asia and the Middle East, National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund, Shelter Against Violent Environments and Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Douglas Devries, Sacramento;  Bruce Broillet;  Roland Wrinkle, Woodland Hills;  Wayne McLean;  Thor Emblem, Escondido;  Rick Simons;  Ian Herzog, Santa Monica;  James Sturdevant, San Francisco;  Harvey R. Levine, Fremont;  Leonard Sacks, Granada Hills;  Robert Steinbert;  Mary E. Alexander, Menlo Park;  Joseph Harbison III, Sacramento;  David Casey, Jr., San Diego;  Thomas J. Stolpman, Long Beach;  Lee-Ann Tratten;  Lawrence Drivon;  William D. Turley, San Diego;  Steven J. Kleifield;  David Rosen;  Moses Lebovits, Los Angeles;  Greene, Broillet, Taylor, Wheeler & Panish, Christine D. Spagnoli;  Esner & Chang and Stuart Esner, Los Angeles, for Consumer Attorneys of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• De Witt W. Clinton and Lloyd W. Pellman, County Counsel, S. Robert Ambrose and Louis V. Aguilar, Assistant County Counsel, Dennis M. Gonzalez, Principal Deputy County Counsel;  Manning, Marder & Wolfe, Manning & Marder Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez and Steven J. Renick for Defendants and Respondents., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Margaret Rodda, Assistant Attorney General, Darryl Doke and Gordon B. Burns, Deputy Attorneys General, for State of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents.,  Pollak, Vida & Fisher, Girard Fisher and Daniel P. Barer, Los Angeles, for 115 California Cities and California State Association of Counties as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., Fred J. Hiestand for the Civil Justice Association of California as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents.