Supreme Court of California

Child care center and its owner are not liable in tort for a third party's intentional criminal act against the center's children when there had been no reported prior similar criminal acts or indeed any similar activity on or near the premises.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/06/2004
• Published 05/06/2004

Judges

• CHIN, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Law Offices of Ginsburg & Hlywa and Evan L. Ginsburg, Fullerton, for Plaintiffs and Appellants Aaron Wiener and Pamela Wiener., Law Offices of Federico C. Sayre, Federico C. Sayre, Daniel H. Cargnelutti and Emery El-Habiby, Santa Ana, for Plaintiffs and Appellants Eric Soto and Cindy Soto.


• For Appellees:
  
• McKay, Byrne & Graham, John P. McKay, Michael P. Acain, Michael A. Byrne and David R. Denton, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Respondent First Baptist Church of Costa Mesa., Jeffery & Grosfeld, Mona J. Jeffery;  Harris & Green, Lon Harris, Gary L. Green, Los Angeles, and Gregory Heuser, Costa Mesa, for Defendant and Respondent Southcoast Childcare Centers, Inc., Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz, Daniel R. Shinoff, Paul V. Carelli IV and Jack M. Sleeth, Jr., San Diego, for The Educational Legal Alliance of the California School Boards Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Respondent Southcoast Childcare Centers, Inc., Deborah J. La Fetra, Sacramento, for Pacific Legal Foundation and Pacific Justice Institute as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents.