United States First Circuit

In plaintiffs' action raising substantive due process claims under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 and state law claims under Rhode Island negligence law for damages against two state employees of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), grant of judgment as a matter of law to the defendants under Rule 50(a) is affirmed as the district court properly granted defendants qualified immunity on the section 1983 action and judgment for defendants pursuant to state sovereign immunity and qualified immunity defenses under Rhode Island state law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/27/2010
• Published 01/27/2010

Judges

• LYNCH, Chief Judge., Before LYNCH, Chief Judge, LIPEZ and HOWARD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Thomas L. Mirza and Pelletier & Mirza, LLP were on brief for appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Genevieve M. Allaire Johnson, Special Assistant Attorney General, with whom Patrick C. Lynch, Attorney General, were on brief for appellees.