F.E.V. v. City of Anaheim

223 Cal. Rptr. 3d 213, 15 Cal. App. 5th 462, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 802
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedSeptember 19, 2017
DocketG052460
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 223 Cal. Rptr. 3d 213 (F.E.V. v. City of Anaheim) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
F.E.V. v. City of Anaheim, 223 Cal. Rptr. 3d 213, 15 Cal. App. 5th 462, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 802 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

FYBEL, J.

*465INTRODUCTION

The doctrine of res judicata or claim preclusion dictates that in ordinary circumstances a final judgment on the merits prevents litigation of the same cause of action in a second suit between the same parties. ( DKN Holdings LLC v. Faerber (2015) 61 Cal.4th 813, 824, 189 Cal.Rptr.3d 809, 352 P.3d 378 ( DKN ).) In rare circumstances, a final judgment may be denied claim preclusive effect when to do so would result in manifest injustice. ( *217People v. Barragan (2004) 32 Cal.4th 236, 256, 9 Cal.Rptr.3d 76, 83 P.3d 480 ( Barragan ); City of Sacramento v. State of California (1990) 50 Cal.3d 51, 65, fn. 8, 266 Cal.Rptr. 139, 785 P.2d 522 ; Greenfield v. Mather (1948) 32 Cal.2d 23, 25, 194 P.2d 1 ( Greenfield ).) This case presents such rare circumstances.

The rare circumstances arise due to a Ninth Circuit en banc opinion that reversed a federal court judgment against plaintiffs on their civil rights claims. ( Gonzalez v. City of Anaheim (9th Cir. 2014) 747 F.3d 789 (en banc).) Initially, a Ninth Circuit panel decision had affirmed the federal court judgment against plaintiffs. ( Gonzalez v. City of Anaheim (9th Cir. May 13, 2013, No. 11-56360) 2013 U.S.App. Lexis 9607.) This court relied on that federal court judgment and the Ninth Circuit panel opinion to affirm, on the ground of collateral estoppel, a state court judgment against plaintiffs on their related state tort claims. ( F.E.V. v. City of Anaheim (June 24, 2013, G046937) 2013 WL 3184670 opn. mod. June 26, 2013 [nonpub. opn.] ( F.E.V. I ).) Long after our opinion in F.E.V. I became final, and long after we lost the ability to change our opinion or vacate the judgment, the Ninth Circuit issued its en banc opinion disagreeing with the Ninth Circuit panel opinion and reversing in part the federal court judgment. By reversing the federal court judgment, the Ninth Circuit en banc opinion eliminated the sole basis for our decision in F.E.V. I and undermined both that decision and the judgment it had affirmed.

Plaintiffs' complaint in this case asserted the same claims against the same parties as the complaint that was resolved by the judgment affirmed by F.E.V. I . For that reason, the trial court sustained without leave to amend defendants' demurrer on the ground of res judicata. The judgment affirmed by F.E.V. I is final and cannot be set aside or vacated, but the question remains whether it should be given preclusive effect to affirm the judgment in this case.

*466We have considered the policies underlying claim preclusion and issue preclusion and conclude they would be defeated rather than advanced by according preclusive effect to the judgment affirmed in F. E.V. I . Plaintiffs have not had the opportunity to litigate their state tort claims and are not vexatious litigants. Giving preclusive effect to a judgment, the validity of which is based entirely on a judgment that has been reversed, can only erode public confidence in judicial decisions. Finality of judgments, the underpinning of res judicata, is an important policy, but it is a means to an end-justice-and not an end in itself. Justice is not served by giving preclusive effect to a judgment under the rare and, we hope, unique circumstances of this case. We therefore reverse the judgment and remand for further proceedings.

BACKGROUND

Adolf Anthony Sanchez Gonzalez (Decedent) was shot and killed in an incident with two Anaheim police officers. Plaintiffs are the Decedent's mother and minor daughter (by and through her guardian ad litem, David Vazquez).

Plaintiffs filed a complaint in federal court (the Federal Complaint) against the City of Anaheim (the City) and the two officers (collectively, Defendants). The Federal Complaint asserted four claims for violation of civil rights pursuant to title 42 United States Code section 1983 and state law claims for false arrest/false imprisonment, battery, negligence, and violation of the Bane Act, Civil Code section 52.1. The four civil rights claims were (1) unreasonable search and seizure-detention and arrest; (2) unreasonable search and seizure and due process-excessive force and denial of medical care; (3) substantive due process;

*218and (4) municipal liability for unconstitutional custom, practice, or policy. ( F.E.V. I , supra , G046937.)

We explained in F.E.V. I : "The Federal Complaint's allegations were barebones: On September 25, 2009, Decedent was driving his car near the intersection of Santa Ana Street and Bond Street in the City of Anaheim. Decedent had not committed any crime, and Anaheim Police Officers Daron Wyatt and Matthew Ellis had neither reasonable suspicion to detain Decedent nor probable cause to arrest him. Officer Wyatt 'discharged a firearm at the Decedent, striking him in the head, causing Decedent serious physical injury and eventually killing him.' (Some capitalization omitted.) Finally, the Federal Complaint alleged Decedent was unarmed and posed no imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to the officers." ( F.E.V. I, supra , G046937.)

"The federal district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants on the civil rights claims and concluded the police officers did not

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Bluebook (online)
223 Cal. Rptr. 3d 213, 15 Cal. App. 5th 462, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 802, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fev-v-city-of-anaheim-calctapp5d-2017.