Opinion

Brown v. State

  • 309 Mont. 106
  • 46 P.3d 42
  • 2002 MT 58
  • 2002 Mont. LEXIS 79
Court
Montana Supreme Court
Filed
Mar 28, 2002
Status
Published
Author
Cotter
On the bench
W. William Leaphart
Cited by
4 cases
Authority
More cited than 0.1%

The opinion

JUSTICE COTTER

dissents.

¶28 In Heck v. Humphrey, a portion of which is set forth in ¶ 22 of the Court’s opinion, the United States Supreme Court held that if the District Court determines that the plaintiffs action, even if successful, would not demonstrate the invalidity of his outstanding criminal conviction, then a § 1983 action should be allowed to proceed, unless there is some other bar to the suit. Heck, 512 U.S. at 486-87, 114 S.Ct. 2364 . Here, even if Brown was successful in his action, his outstanding criminal judgment would not in any sense be invalidated.

¶29 As in Neil v. Shimoda, cited by this Court at ¶ 24, the only benefit *112 Brown might receive if his § 1983 cause of action was successful, would be a possible advancement of his opportunity to appear before the Parole Board. This brings his case squarely within the Neil v. Shimoda holding. I would therefore reverse the holding of the District Court that Brown failed to state a cognizable cause of action under 42 U.S.C. 1983.

JUSTICE TRIEWEILER joins in the foregoing dissent.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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