SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Civil rights Keyed to Jeffries, 5th Ed.
Owen v. City of Independence
Citation:
445 U.S. 622 (1980)Facts
George Owen served as Chief of Police of Independence, Missouri, from 1967 to 1972. In early 1972, questions arose about the management of the police department’s property room. The City Manager, Lyle Alberg, initiated an investigation which found administrative discrepancies but no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. On April 10, Alberg asked Owen to resign, which Owen refused to do. On April 17, during a city council meeting, Councilman Roberts read a statement alleging various improprieties in the police department, including misappropriation of property and manipulation of traffic tickets. The Council passed a resolution calling for the release of investigative reports to the media and for the City Manager to take “appropriate action.” The next day, Alberg discharged Owen without providing reasons or a hearing. Owen’s requests for a specification of charges and a hearing were denied. The local press gave prominent coverage to the Council’s action and Owen’s dismissal. A grand jury later returned a “no true bill,” finding no basis for criminal charges.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.