Zavala v. United States
Zavala v. United States
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
The case is before the Court on the motion of Government to dismiss. The bases set forth in the motion are lack of jurisdiction of the subject matter and that the Complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under the exclusionary provisions of U.S.C. Title 28 § 2680(h).
The basic facts of the case arise out of a border incident which occurred on May 26, 1971. One William S. Hunter, a Border Patrol Agent assigned to Presidio, Texas, completed his tour of duty at midnight on May 25, 1971 and returned to his residence at D & D Trailer
The plaintiff attempts to base her claim on negligence. The two sections of the Restatement of Torts, 2nd Section 21 and Section 131 seem to be applicable to this case.. They read as follows:
§ 21 ASSAULT
(1) An actor is subject to liability to another for assault if
(a) he acts intending to cause a harmful . . . contact with the person of the other or a third person . . . Restatement of the Law, Torts 2d, § 21 at 37 (Emphasis added). (Identical to 18 BATTERY).
§ 131. USE OF FORCE INTENDED OR LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH. The actor’s use of force against another, for the purpose of effecting a privileged arrest of the other, by means intended or likely to cause death is privileged if
(a) the arrest is made without a warrant . . . for a felony which has been committed, and
(b) . . . the actor reasonably believes the offense was committed by the other if the arrest is made without a warrant, and
(c) the actor reasonably believes that the arrest cannot otherwise be effected.
A review of the cases analogous to the present situation shows the entire weight of precedent supports the Government’s contentions. The plaintiff, as the Court reads plaintiff’s brief, has cited no case in point supporting her assertion of the Government’s liability. The leading Fifth Circuit case on the issue is United States v. Faneca, 332 F.2d 872, 875 (1964). In following the above quoted case in Nichols v. United States, 236 F.Supp. 260, 263 (N.D.Miss. 1964),
Plaintiffs here have cast their complaints in terms of negligence . this was also true in Faneca, supra, . . . and, in the light of Faneca, supra, it must be said that the applicability of the jurisdictional exclusion in 28 U.S.C. 21880(h) cannot turn upon the artistry of the pleader. The test is not the theory upon which the plaintiff elects to proceed or how artfully the pleadings may have been drawn. Rather, the decisive factor is whether . . . the claim arises out of assault and battery . . . From what has been said, it follows that this court must say that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that defendant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. (Emphasis added).
To like effect are the decisions in Stepp v. United States, 207 F.2d 909, 911 (C.A. 4, 1953); Lewis v. United States, 194 F.2d 689 (C.A. 3, 1952); Pendarvis v. United States, 241 F.Supp. 8 (E.D.S.C. 1965).
The arguments of the plaintiff in this case are directed to distinguishing the above cases which is precisely what the plaintiffs in each of the above cases attempted to do and in each instance failed.
The Court, from the facts which are outlined at the beginning of this Opinion, concludes that the agents were firing not only to halt the truck, but also returning gunfire which certainly endangered their lives. The law never prohibits law enforcement officers to defend their lives and to effect a lawful arrest upon probable cause which is the situation here. Restatement of Torts § 131, supra.
Under all the circumstances in the case, the Court finds that plaintiff has failed to state a case upon which recovery can be had and that the exclusionary provisions of 28 § 2680(h) are applicable. The motion of the Government to dismiss is granted and the case is dismissed with prejudice and it is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elvira Vasquez ZAVALA for herself and as next friend of Maria Guadalupe Zavala Vasquez, a minor v. UNITED STATES of America Acting Through its Agents the Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Status
- Published