Summary Judgment Against State Trooper in Civil Rights Case Upheld

In Estate of Oliva v. Dep't of Law & Pub. Safety, No. 09-2082, the Third Circuit faced a challenge to the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants and denial of plaintiff's motion for leave to amend his complaint in an action by the estate of a now deceased state trooper who committed suicide, claiming harassment by numerous individuals connected with the State Police for his objections to what he believed was a State Police practice to profile motorists when making traffic stops. 

The court ultimately affirmed the grant of defendants' motion for summary judgment on plaintiff's section 1981 claims, section 1985(3) claims, and state law claims, in concluding that he has failed to establish that his various causes of action can be sustained according to their requirements or demonstrate that the district court abused its discretion in denying his request for leave to amend. 

Related Resource:

• Full text of Estate of Oliva v. Dep't of Law & Pub. Safety