City of Los Angeles v. Edwin F. David (538 U.S. 715)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 19, 2003 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 538 U.S. 715 · 123 S. Ct. 1895
- Decided
- May 19, 2003
- Term
- October Term 2002
- Vote
- 9–0
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Per Curiam. On August 13, 1998, an officer of the city of Los Angeles Department of Transportation ordered respondent Edwin David’s automobile towed from a spot where parking was forbidden. After paying $134.50, David recovered his car. David, believing that the trees obstructed his view of the “no parking” sign, requested a hearing to recover the money. On September 9, 1998 — 27 days after the vehicle was towed — the city held the hearing and denied David’s claim. David then brought this lawsuit in Federal District Court under Rev. Stat. § 1979, 42 U. S. C. § 1983, arguing that the city, in failing to provide a sufficiently prompt hearing, had violated his federal right to “due process of law.” Arndt. 14, § 1. The District Court granted summary judgment for the city. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, by a vote of 2 to 1, reversed, holding that the Constitution required the city to provide an earlier payment-recovery hearing, perhaps within 48 hours of the towing and at least within 5 days. 307 F. 3d 1143, 1147 (2002). The city, seeking certiorari here, argues that the Ninth Circuit’s holding rims contrary to well-settled principles of constitutional law. We agree. We grant the writ and summarily reverse the Ninth Circuit’s judgment. In Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U. S. 319, 335 (1976), the Court set forth three factors that normally determine whether an individual has…
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