U.S. appeals court: protection from harm.

• Position: Failure to Protect

Gatlin ex rel. Gatlin v. Green, 362 F.3d 1089 (8th Cir. 2004). The estate of a cooperating witness in a murder investigation brought an action against a police officer and city. The witness was murdered after police allegedly released a prisoner's letter that identified the witness. The district court entered summary judgment for the defendant and the estate appealed. The appeals court affirmed, finding that the city's failure to provide more training to police officers in witness and informant protection or the regulation of jail correspondence, was inadequate to support civil rights liability of the city under a failure-to-train theory...