Wins

John Van de Kamp, et al. v. Thomas Lee Goldstein (2009) 129 S.Ct. 855 (United States Supreme Court). In a unanimous opinion, the United States Supreme Court held that GMSR’s clients, former District Attorney John Van de Kamp and Assistant District Attorney Curt Livesay, are entitled to absolute prosecutorial immunity for decisions concerning the manner in which the District Attorney’s office implemented policies and training concerning the use of jail house informants and related decisions regarding disclosure of exculpatory information. This is the first time the court has held that administrative decisions by chief prosecutors may be subject to absolute immunity so long as the decisions are intimately related to the prosecutorial function.