United States Ninth Circuit

The heightened pleading standard under Branch v. Tunnell, 937 F. 2d 1382 (9th Cir. 1991), for constitutional tort claims in which improper motive is an element, no longer applies in light of intervening U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Appellate Information

• Argued 04/11/2002
• Decided 10/09/2002
• Published 10/09/2002

Judges

• Before SCHROEDER, Chief Judge, B. FLETCHER and KOZINSKI, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Michael Goldsmith, Park City, Utah, Thomas M. Burton, Law Offices of Thomas M. Burton, Pleasanton, CA, and Thomas R. Hogan, Law Offices of Thomas R. Hogan, San Jose, CA, for plaintiff-appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• James E. Towery, Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc., San Jose, CA, for defendants-appellees.