Koch v. City of Del City

660 F.3d 1228, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 22095, 2011 WL 5176164
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedNovember 2, 2011
Docket10-6105
StatusPublished
Cited by390 cases

This text of 660 F.3d 1228 (Koch v. City of Del City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koch v. City of Del City, 660 F.3d 1228, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 22095, 2011 WL 5176164 (10th Cir. 2011).

Opinion

EBEL, Circuit Judge.

Beginning in 2004, Plaintiff-Appellant Vicki Koch and her parents assumed control over the property and care of an elderly woman, Gladys Lance. Ms. Lance’s niece became concerned about her aunt’s welfare, and in September 2005, when she could no longer locate Ms. Lance, she obtained an order from an Oklahoma state court appointing her as Ms. Lance’s special guardian. Several days later, Defendant-Appellant John Beech, an officer of the Del City Police Department, was told by his supervisor that a “pickup” order had been issued for Ms. Lance, and that he should go to Ms. Koch’s residence to check on Ms. Lance. When he did, he encountered Ms. Koch on her front doorstep. He asked Ms. Koch where Ms. Lance was located, but Ms. Koch refused to tell him, *1233 instead telling him to leave her property and talk to her attorney. When Ms. Koch persisted in her non-responsiveness and turned to leave, Officer Beech arrested her for obstruction. During the arrest, a scuffle ensued, which concluded when Officer Beech brought Ms. Koch to the ground and handcuffed her.

Ms. Koch sued Officer Beech and Del City under 42 U.S.C. § 1988, alleging, inter alia, claims for false arrest and excessive force. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants, concluding that Officer Beech was entitled to qualified immunity. Ms. Koch now appeals that decision. The appellees, in turn, challenge our jurisdiction to hear Ms. Koch’s appeal. As discussed below, we conclude that we have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and exercising that jurisdiction, we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

1. The relationship between Vicki Koch and Gladys Lance

At all relevant times, Ms. Koch was a resident of Del City, Oklahoma, while Ms. Lance resided in Oklahoma City. Although the parties dispute the nature of their relationship, beginning at least in 2004, Ms. Koch and her parents, Hugh and Lucille Butrick, acted in some sort of care-giving capacity to Ms. Lance. For instance, on January 5, 2004, Ms. Lance signed an affidavit purportedly revoking power of attorney from her niece, Patricia Loar (who resided in Kansas), and granting power of attorney to Ms. Koch and the Butricks. On January 19, 2004, Ms. Lance signed another affidavit in which she purported to name Ms. Koch and the Butricks as her “attorneys-in-fact” and the “conservators or guardians” of her property. (Aplt. App’x at 105, 111.) On July 29, 2005, Ms. Lance signed a document appointing Hugh Butrick as her guardian, and Ms. Koch as her successor guardian, in the event she became incapacitated.

On August 29, 2005, Ms. Lance signed a typewritten document in which she, in return for Ms. Koch’s alleged care-giving services, agreed to pay Ms. Koch $1,500 per month. On September 1, 2005, Hugh Butrick sold Ms. Lance’s home, and several days later he placed Ms. Lance in a nursing home.

2. The order appointing Loar as Special Guardian

Beginning at least in August 2005, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (“DHS”) began to have concerns about Ms. Lance’s welfare. At some point, Ms. Loar came to share these concerns. It appears that by the time Butrick placed Ms. Lance in a nursing home, however, neither DHS nor Ms. Loar could locate Ms. Lance. Accordingly, Ms. Loar filed a petition in the District Court of Oklahoma County seeking to be appointed as “Special Guardian” to Ms. Lance and her property. (Id. at 242.)

On September 8, 2005, the court granted Ms. Loar’s petition, finding that there was “imminent danger that the health or safety and the financial resources of Gladys Lance [would] be seriously impaired and dissipated unless an immediate appointment of a special guardian oceur[ed].” (Id. (the “Order”).) The court also ordered Ms. Koch or her family to “immediately tell DHS, Petitioner and Gladys Lance’s family (relatives) the whereabouts of Gladys Lance and why she was removed from her home.” (Id.) In order to facilitate Ms. Loar’s search efforts, the court granted her the “authority to file missing persons police reports, obtain law enforcement assistance, and do that which is necessary to find the whereabouts of Gladys *1234 Lance.” (Id.) The court also set forth Ms. Loar’s powers as Special Guardian, including the power to “take action to prevent the transfer of [Ms. Lance’s] property, including her home.” (Id.)

On September 9, 2005, a copy of the Order was placed on Ms. Koch’s door. On the same day, Ms. Koch’s attorney, Joyce Good, received a letter from DHS stating that it needed to hear from Ms. Koch “regarding the whereabouts of Gladys Lance” and asking to avoid “the need for involvement by the Sheriffs office.” (Id. at 277.) Ms. Good informed Ms. Koch that day that DHS was looking for Ms. Lance. Despite this notice and the fact that Ms. Koch knew at that time that her father had placed Ms. Lance in a nursing home, Ms. Koch apparently did not convey Ms. Lance’s whereabouts to Ms. Good, Ms. Loar, or DHS.

3. Ms. Koch’s arrest

On September 13, 2005, Officer Beech was told during his shift “lineup” that a “pick-up order” was in place for Ms. Lance, and that he should periodically check Ms. Koch’s residence to see if anyone was there. (Id. at 65.) If so, Officer Beech was charged with making contact with that person in order to check on the welfare of Ms. Lance, who was “supposed to be at th[e] residence.” (Id.) The only information Officer Beech received about Ms. Koch and Ms. Lance was what he was told during this shift lineup.

Later that evening, Officer Beech went to Ms. Koch’s residence and saw Ms. Koch standing outside of her home. Officer Beech approached Ms. Koch and asked her if she knew where Ms. Lance was located. Ms. Koch told him that he should not be on her property and that he should talk to her attorney. Officer Beech told her that he had an emergency pickup order for Ms. Lance and that if Ms. Koch did not tell him the whereabouts of Ms. Lance he would arrest Ms. Koch for obstruction. Ms. Koch again told him to leave her property. Shortly thereafter, Officer Beech informed Ms. Koch that she was under arrest for obstruction, and as Ms. Koch tried to enter her residence, Officer Beech grabbed her arm. A struggle ensued, they went to the ground, and Officer Beech placed handcuffs on Ms. Koch. At some point during the encounter, Ms. Koch told Officer Beech that Ms. Lance was in a nursing home in the town of Choctaw or Harrah. Ms. Koch alleges that Officer Beech used excessive force in arresting her, and that she sustained injuries as a result. 1

Ms. Koch was charged with assault and battery upon a police officer and with obstruction. After the arrest, Ms. Lance was located in a nursing home in Choctaw. In February 2006, the district attorney dropped the charges against Ms. Koch.

B.

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Bluebook (online)
660 F.3d 1228, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 22095, 2011 WL 5176164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koch-v-city-of-del-city-ca10-2011.