City of Canton v. Harris
- Decided
- February 28, 1989
- Docket
- 86-1088
- Status
- Published
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
Cited 10,043 timesAbrogated on other grounds (not yet verified)Possible negative treatment: abrogated on other grounds, abrogated in part on other grounds (not yet verified) · Alford v. City of Detroit
What later courts said
- recognizing that a systematic failure to train officers adequately as a custom or policy may lead to city liability — Everson v. Leis (2009)
- recognizing that a systematic failure to train officers adequately as a custom or policy may lead to city liability — Phillips v. Roane County, Tenn. (2008)
- holding that city may properly be held liable where policy is moving force behind constitutional violation — No. 97-55579 (2000)
Each line is a later court’s own words about this case, not a summary. Read the opinion before relying on it.
How the opinion begins
Justice White delivered the opinion of the Court.
In this case, we are asked to determine if a municipality can ever be liable under 42 U. S. C. § 1983[1] for constitutional violations resulting from its failure to train municipal employees. We hold that, under certain circumstances, such liability is permitted by the statute.
[*381] I In April 1978, respondent Geraldine Harris was arrested by officers of the Canton Police Department. Mrs. Harris was brought to the police station in a patrol wagon.
Statutes cited
Cite this
City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378 (1989)Read the full opinion
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