United States Sixth Circuit

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 action alleging that Defendants fabricated evidence against Plaintiff in a criminal proceeding, summary judgment for Defendants is affirmed in part, where police officers enjoy absolute immunity for any testimony delivered at adversarial judicial proceedings. Judgment is reversed in part where the critical factor in determining whether the state's obligation to preserve evidence is absolute turns on the nature of the evidence at issue, not who destroyed or suppressed the evidence.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/01/2009
• Published 07/01/2009

Judges

• Before:  MOORE, CLAY, and KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Rosalind Rochkind, Garan Lucow Miller, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, Brian J. Richtarcik, Chapman & Associates, P.C., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Sarah R. Prout, Lakeshore Legal Aid, Port Huron, Michigan, for Appellants.  Michael R. Dezsi, Fieger, Fieger, Kenney, Johnson & Giroux, Southfield, Michigan, for Appellee. ON BRIEF:  Rosalind Rochkind, Jami E. Leach, Garan Lucow Miller, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, Brian J. Richtarcik, Ronald W. Chapman, Chapman & Associates, P.C., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Sarah R. Prout, William R. Knight, Lakeshore Legal Aid, Clinton Township, Michigan, for Appellants.  Marc M. Susselman, Dennis A. Dettmer, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee.