Justia Constitutional Law Opinion Summaries

Plaintiff collapsed with exertional heatstroke while practicing as a member of the Towson University football team. Plaintiff was in a coma for nine days, almost died, and suffered multi-organ failure, requiring a liver a transplant and numerous additional surgeries. Plaintiff subsequently recovered and pursued his plan to return to playing football. However, the Team Physician, a board-certified sports medicine doctor, concluded that allowing plaintiff to participate in the football program at the University presented an unacceptable risk of serious reinjury or death. Plaintiff filed suit against the University, alleging that its decision to exclude him from the football program amounted to a violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq. The district court entered judgment against the University. The court reversed, concluding that plaintiff was not “otherwise qualified” to participate fully in the University’s football program because the University reasonably applied its Return-to-Play Policy. The court was required to give deference to the University's judgment. The court did not reach the University's challenge to the district court's evidentiary rulings. View "Class v. Towson Univ." on Justia Law

Plaintiff filed suit against the police department and three of its former detectives for damages under 42 U.S.C. 1983, alleging that the police and prosecution withheld evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland during plaintiff's 1982 murder trial. The district court dismissed the case under Heck v. Humphrey. The court affirmed the judgment, concluding that this case involves section 1983 claims that are predicated on alleged Brady violations which would, if proven, necessarily imply the invalidity of plaintiff's convictions. Those convictions have not been reversed on direct appeal, expunged by executive order, declared invalid by a state tribunal, or called into question by a federal court's issuance of a writ of habeas corpus. Therefore, under Heck, they may not be collaterally attacked through section 1983 now. The court concluded that the fact that plaintiff is no longer in custody does not change this result. Finally, plaintiff has identified no impediment to habeas access warranting an expansion of the Heck exception. View "Griffin v. Baltimore Police Dept." on Justia Law