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Hamilton County Job and Family Services, et al. v. Joseph Siefert, et ux.

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, No. 18-4179 · judgment March 3, 2020


Certiorari denied · December 7, 2020
Pre-decision estimate: 1% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

A. Did the Sixth Circuit err when it failed to conduct an individualized analysis of Petitioners’ actions before blanketly rejecting their asserted defense of qualified immunity? B. Did the Sixth Circuit err when it determined that, through a footnote, it was clearly established that a children’s services caseworker has an affirmative duty to protect parental due process rights when a child is hospitalized and no child custody proceedings have been initiated? C. Whether this Court should resolve the circuit conflict on the important federal question of whether a private, non-profit hospital and private healthcare providers, are state actors subject to claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 when they simply provide medical care and cooperate with a county Job and Family Services Department for the appropriate treatment of a suicidal minor.

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Jon David Brittingham
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

For respondent
Ted Laurence Wills
Ted L. Wills, Attomey at Law

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Dec 07 2020
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Nov 10 2020
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/4/2020.
  3. Oct 23 2020
    Brief of respondents Joseph Siefert, et al. in opposition filed.
  4. Sep 18 2020
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 26, 2020)