United States Sixth Circuit

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 action against a county Medical Examiner for depriving plaintiff of her right to dispose of her deceased mother's brain (removed in an autopsy and later incinerated as medical waste), denial of defendant's motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity is reversed where plaintiff had no clearly established property right in the brain because it was removed and retained for study in furtherance of a lawful criminal investigation.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/22/2009
• Published 07/22/2009

Judges

• Before GILMAN and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges;  BARRETT, District Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  William H. Horton, Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., Troy, Michigan, for Appellants.  Patrick J. Perotti, Dworken Bernstein Co., LPA, Painesville, Ohio, for Appellee.  Steven M. Jentzen, Steven M. Jentzen, P.C., Ypsilanti, Michigan, for Amici Curiae.   ON BRIEF:  William H. Horton, Elizabeth A. Favaro, Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., Troy, Michigan, Keith J. Lerminiaux, Oakland County Corporation Counsel, Pontiac, Michigan, for Appellants.  Patrick J. Perotti, Dworken Bernstein Co., LPA, Painesville, Ohio, John Henry Metz, Law Office, Cincinnati, Ohio, for Appellee.  Steven M. Jentzen, Steven M. Jentzen, P.C., Ypsilanti, Michigan, B. Eric Restuccia, Office of the Michigan Attorney General, Lansing, Michigan, Daniel A. Ophoff, Kent County, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joanne G. Swanson, Kerr, Russell and Weber, PLC, Detroit, Michigan, for Amici Curiae.