42 U.S.C. § 1983 · A outline

A · Element outline

Labels preserve the recorded AND / OR / EXCEPTION / DEFENSE structure.

Claim structure

Expression key: & = AND; | = OR; ! = exclusion / negation. Parentheses preserve grouping.

42usc1983:individual-damages

person & color-of-law & deprivation & causation & damages & !qualified-immunity & !x-absolute-immunity & !x-eleventh-amendment & !x-habeas-exhaustion & !statute-of-limitations & !x-collateral-estoppel

Personal-capacity damages suit against a state or local official (Hafer v. Melo). Subject to qualified or absolute common-law immunities.

42usc1983:individual-injunctive

person & color-of-law & deprivation & causation & standing-injury & !judicial-officer-injunctive-relief & !x-habeas-exhaustion & !statute-of-limitations

Prospective injunctive/declaratory suit against an official (Ex parte Young / Will v. Michigan Dept. of State Police fn. 10). Article III injury and causation establish standing; proof of compensatory damages is not required. The statutory judicial-officer bar remains applicable.

42usc1983:municipal

person & color-of-law & deprivation & policy & causation & damages & !statute-of-limitations & !x-collateral-estoppel

Local-government liability under Monell v. Department of Social Services (436 U.S. 658 (1978)): no respondeat superior; municipal policy or custom must be the moving force behind an underlying constitutional violation. Municipalities may not assert qualified immunity.

Constraints

In Fourteenth Amendment claims, the statutory "under color of" state law requirement and the constitutional "state action" requirement converge.

Municipal responsibility (Monell policy/custom, including Canton deliberate indifference) and the underlying constitutional deprivation are separate inquiries; satisfying policy cannot supply the constitutional violation.

Law modes, protocols and effects

law

Law kind: vehicle

deprivation carries: U.S. Const. amend. I; U.S. Const. amend. IV; U.S. Const. amend. VIII; U.S. Const. amend. XIV (due process, equal protection); federal statutory rights

element-effect

42usc1983:qualified-immunity: immunity-from-suit — individual-capacity damages only; no effect on municipal liability or on injunctive relief

Statute text with element anchors

Overlapping highlights link to the first element; the anchor key links every associated element. All offsets refer to unchanged source text.

§1983. Civil action for deprivation of rights Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia. (R.S. §1979; Pub. L. 96–170, §1, Dec. 29, 1979, 93 Stat. 1284 ; Pub. L. 104–317, title III, §309(c), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3853 .)

All element anchor links

Suable "person" (natural person in individual capacity, official in official capacity for prospective relief, or municipality; excludes States) — offsets [46:62]
Eleventh Amendment state sovereign immunity bar (official-capacity damages / retrospective relief) — offsets [46:145]
Lugar prong 1: deprivation caused by exercise of a right, privilege, or rule of conduct created by the State — offsets [64:131]
Action taken "under color of" state, territorial, or D.C. law — offsets [64:186]
Municipal policy or custom as moving force (Monell v. Department of Social Services) — offsets [115:132]
Municipal failure to train or supervise amounting to deliberate indifference (City of Canton v. Harris) — offsets [115:132]
Lugar prong 2: party charged with the deprivation may fairly be said to be a state actor — offsets [133:186]
Federal action / Fifth Amendment claim (outside § 1983 state-law scope) — offsets [133:186]
Personal involvement / causal connection ("subjects, or causes to be subjected") — offsets [188:224]
Deprivation of a right, privilege, or immunity secured by the Constitution and laws — offsets [306:402]
Fourteenth Amendment Due Process right to a fair trial (Brady / fabricated evidence / unduly suggestive identification) — offsets [306:402]
Protected liberty interest under the Due Process Clause (including stigma-plus under Paul v. Davis) — offsets [306:402]
Protected property interest under the Due Process Clause (Board of Regents v. Roth) — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishments — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection rights — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of First Amendment rights (free speech, retaliation, free exercise, petition) — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of Fourth Amendment rights (unreasonable search, warrantless entry, false arrest, excessive force) — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Procedural Due Process (protected liberty/property interest + inadequate process) — offsets [306:402]
Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Substantive Due Process — offsets [306:402]
Rejected extra element: separate proof of "abuse of governmental power" (Collins v. City of Harker Heights) — offsets [306:402]
Section 1983 malicious prosecution claim (Fourth Amendment / procedural due process) — offsets [306:402]
Qualified immunity for government officials sued in individual capacity (Harlow v. Fitzgerald; Pearson v. Callahan) — offsets [404:460]
Common-law absolute immunity (judicial, prosecutorial, legislative, witness functions) — offsets [404:460]
Damages remedy (legacy CASE id; not a prerequisite for prospective relief) — offsets [404:516]
Collateral-order appellate jurisdiction over interlocutory qualified-immunity denials (Mitchell v. Forsyth; Johnson v. Jones) — offsets [404:516]
Judicial standing prerequisite, separate from damages remedy — offsets [427:440]
Borrowed state personal-injury statute of limitations (42 U.S.C. § 1988; Wilson v. Garcia; Owens v. Okure) — offsets [441:516]
Issue preclusion / collateral estoppel from prior state criminal or civil judgment (Allen v. McCurry) — offsets [441:516]
Preiser / Heck v. Humphrey favorable-termination and habeas-exclusivity bar — offsets [441:516]
Appellate preservation / forfeiture of issue not raised in district court — offsets [478:516]
Statutory bar on injunctive relief against a judicial officer acting in a judicial capacity (1996 amendment) — offsets [518:763]
District of Columbia exclusive Act of Congress inclusion clause (1979 amendment) — offsets [764:933]

Element outline

AND Suable "person" (natural person in individual capacity, official in official capacity for prospective relief, or municipality; excludes States)

Under Will v. Michigan Dept. of State Police (491 U.S. 58 (1989)), neither a State nor its officials acting in their official capacities are "persons" under § 1983 when sued for damages, though state officials sued in their official capacities for prospective injunctive relief (or in their personal capacities for damages under Hafer) are "persons".

4 merits instance blocks; 3 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 10 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 10	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (10). Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
individual-capacity provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether an official sued personally is a "person".	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: individual/state-official-sued-in-personal-capacity-for-official-acts
municipality provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a local government is a "person".	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Collins v. City of Harker Heights — 503 U.S. 115 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: city
official-capacity provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a state official sued in an official capacity is a "person".	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/lower-court · not counted Pattern: state-official-sued-for-prospective-relief
plaintiff-as-person provisional; provisional (1 case)	Who may sue: whether the plaintiff is a person entitled to bring a § 1983 action.	2 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Chemehuevi Indian Tribe v. McMahon — 934 F.3d 1076 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: enrolled tribal members personally stopped, cited and (some) deprived of their vehicles by county deputies on the reservation Chemehuevi Indian Tribe v. McMahon — 934 F.3d 1076 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: Indian tribe suing county officers to vindicate its freedom from state regulation on the reservation, and as parens patriae for its members

AND Action taken "under color of" state, territorial, or D.C. law

Under West v. Atkins (487 U.S. 42 (1988)), traditional definition requires that the defendant exercised power "possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because the wrongdoer is clothed with the authority of state law". Note Polk County v. Dodson (454 U.S. 312 (1981)) later reversed the Eighth Circuit's Dodson holding on public defenders, holding a public defender does not act under color of state law when performing a lawyer's traditional functions as counsel to a defendant in a criminal proceeding.

5 merits instance blocks; 3 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 8 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 8	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (8). Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
private-party provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a private party's conduct is fairly attributable to the State.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan — 526 U.S. 40 (1999) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1999 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: private-insurer-using-state-authorized-withholding-procedure
public-official provisional; 5 observed cases	Whether a government officer or employee acted in an official capacity.	4 Satisfied 4; not satisfied 0; excluded context 2	3	Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: county-governing-board-members Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — satisfied · pleaded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: county-employed-public-defender-representing-indigent Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — satisfied · pleaded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: exercise-of-official-authority American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan — 526 U.S. 40 (1999) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1999 — satisfied · conceded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: administering-statutory-scheme Excluded context examples: Lindke v. Freed — 601 U.S. 187 (2024) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2024 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · rule-announced/merits · not counted Pattern: city manager's public Facebook page mixing personal and job-related posts, neither labelled personal nor official; critic's comments deleted and critic blocked O'Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier — 601 U.S. 205 (2024) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2024 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/superseded · not counted Pattern: school-board trustees' campaign pages kept after election for district business and labelled "Government Official"; critics' repetitive comments deleted and critics blocked

AND Lugar prong 2: party charged with the deprivation may fairly be said to be a state actor

Second prong of Lugar: whether the private or hybrid entity may fairly be treated as a state actor under the public-function test, state-compulsion/nexus test, symbiotic-relationship test, or joint-action test.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: state-actor/publicly-designated-nonprofit-with-mandated-public-officials-on-board

AND Lugar prong 1: deprivation caused by exercise of a right, privilege, or rule of conduct created by the State

First prong of Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co. (457 U.S. 922, 937 (1982)): the deprivation must be caused by the exercise of some right or privilege created by the State or by a rule of conduct imposed by the State or by a person for whom the State is responsible.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: no-nexus/personnel-decision-not-governed-by-state-rule

AND Deprivation of a right, privilege, or immunity secured by the Constitution and laws

Section 1983 is not itself a source of substantive rights, but provides a method for vindicating federal rights elsewhere conferred (Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137, 144 n.3 (1979)); sub-elements branch by the underlying constitutional/statutory provision.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 4 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 4	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (4). Excluded context examples: Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Chemehuevi Indian Tribe v. McMahon — 934 F.3d 1076 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 1	1	Ridgell v. City of Pine Bluff — 935 F.3d 633 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 2019 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: council member who switched his vote and let the mayor's second termination stand; no evidence his vote was based on race Excluded context examples: Ridgell v. City of Pine Bluff — 935 F.3d 633 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 2019 — not · proved (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/lower-court · not counted Pattern: mayor fired a Black department head for missed deadlines and tardiness while white comparators were only disciplined; jury found she did not discriminate

OR Fourteenth Amendment Due Process right to a fair trial (Brady / fabricated evidence / unduly suggestive identification)

Violated when officers fabricate evidence forwarded to prosecutors, rig witness identifications, or suppress material exculpatory/impeachment evidence (Brady).

3 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
brady-suppression provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether police withheld exculpatory or impeachment evidence.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Galloway v. County of Nassau — 141 F.4th 417 (2025) · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 2025 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: brady-suppression-by-police/suggestive-photo-array-procedures-withheld-from-prosecutor
fabricated-evidence provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether officers manufactured evidence used against the plaintiff.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Galloway v. County of Nassau — 141 F.4th 417 (2025) · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 2025 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: coerced-false-witness-statement-forwarded-to-prosecutor
suggestive-identification provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether an unduly suggestive identification procedure tainted the trial.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Galloway v. County of Nassau — 141 F.4th 417 (2025) · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 2025 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: lineup-disguising-mismatch-with-witness-description

OR Protected liberty interest under the Due Process Clause (including stigma-plus under Paul v. Davis)

Reputational injury alone is insufficient under Paul v. Davis; requires "stigma-plus" (defamatory governmental statement coupled with extinguishment or distinct alteration of a state-recognized right or employment status).

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
stigma-plus provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether defamation by the State accompanied by a change in legal status deprives a liberty interest.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: defamation-with-demotion-not-discharge

OR Protected property interest under the Due Process Clause (Board of Regents v. Roth)

Property interests are created and defined by independent sources such as state law, rules, or mutually explicit understandings that support a legitimate claim of entitlement.

4 merits instance blocks; 2 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
public-employment provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether the plaintiff had a property interest in a public job, rank or promotion and was deprived of it.	4 Satisfied 2; not satisfied 2; excluded context 0	2	Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: property-interest-public-employment/denial-of-discretionary-promotion Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: property-interest-public-employment/constructive-demotion-to-insubstantial-duties Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: property-interest-public-employment/constructive-discharge-without-resignation Eveland v. City of St. Louis — 142 F.4th 1053 (2025) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 2025 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: expected promotion from an exam shortlist where the fire chief had always picked the top scorer but kept discretion; promotions frozen by a superior

OR Deprivation of Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishments

Splits into excessive force (Whitley/Hudson malicious-and-sadistic test) and conditions of confinement / medical care (Farmer v. Brennan subjective deliberate indifference test).

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 2 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 2	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (2). Excluded context examples: Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Nobre v. Louisiana Department of Public Safety — 935 F.3d 437 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2019 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
excessive-force provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether force against a prisoner was applied maliciously rather than in good faith (Hudson).	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Hudson v. McMillian — 503 U.S. 1 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — satisfied · proved (42usc1983: author: Fable · QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: beating-of-restrained-prisoner-minor-injury
failure-to-protect provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether officials were deliberately indifferent to a substantial risk of harm from others (Farmer).	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/lower-court · not counted Pattern: inmate-left-unsecured-with-unrestrained-inmate-in-understaffed-unit

OR Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection rights

Requires purposeful discrimination / disparate treatment of similarly situated comparators (or facial classification) without the requisite level of scrutiny justification.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; provisional (1 case)	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
public-employment-discrimination provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a public employer treated the plaintiff differently because of a protected trait.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — not · conceded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: sex-discrimination-public-employment/no-disparate-treatment-of-comparators

OR Deprivation of First Amendment rights (free speech, retaliation, free exercise, petition)

Pesci v. Budz (11th Cir. 2019) is an actual First Amendment merits ruling, rejecting a civil detainee’s newsletter challenge under a modified Turner test. This is a scoped civil-detention speech example, not a universal test for retaliatory arrest or public-employee speech. The unrelated Olivier/Heck passage is removed.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 5 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 5	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (5). Excluded context examples: Olivier v. City of Brandon — 607 U.S. ___ (2026) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2026 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded

OR Deprivation of Fourth Amendment rights (unreasonable search, warrantless entry, false arrest, excessive force)

Evaluated under Graham v. Connor objective reasonableness from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene.

5 merits instance blocks; 3 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Codrington v. Dolak — 142 F.4th 884 (2025) · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · 2025 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: drugs allegedly planted in a patrol car after three fruitless searches, undocumented by body cameras, and a photo with items not the arrestee's handed to the prosecutor
excessive-force provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether there was a seizure and whether the force used to effect it was objectively reasonable (Graham).	2 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 2; excluded context 0	1	Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: reasonable-force-on-fleeing-erratic-resisting-arrestee Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: no-seizure-driver-drove-away-from-stop
home-entry provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a warrantless entry into a home was justified.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: warrantless-home-entry/child-abuse-investigation-on-weak-anonymous-tip
search-of-person provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether a search of the person was reasonable.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: strip-search/child-examined-for-bruises-without-reasonable-suspicion

OR Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Procedural Due Process (protected liberty/property interest + inadequate process)

Two-step inquiry: (1) whether plaintiff was deprived of a protected liberty or property interest (see `.due-process-property` and `.due-process-liberty`), and (2) whether the procedures attendant upon that deprivation were constitutionally sufficient (Mathews v. Eldridge).

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 2 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 2	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (2). Excluded context examples: Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Bird v. Hawaii — 935 F.3d 738 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
property-interest provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether the plaintiff had a protected property interest to which process attaches.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan — 526 U.S. 40 (1999) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1999 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: benefit-entitlement-not-yet-established

OR Deprivation of Fourteenth Amendment Substantive Due Process

Protects fundamental rights and guards against executive abuse of power that "shocks the conscience" (County of Sacramento v. Lewis), but does not constitutionalize ordinary state tort law or impose an affirmative workplace-safety duty absent custody (DeShaney; Collins).

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
affirmative-duty provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether the State owed an affirmative duty to protect or provide (DeShaney, Collins).	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Collins v. City of Harker Heights — 503 U.S. 115 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — not · pleaded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: government-employer-unsafe-workplace

AND Personal involvement / causal connection ("subjects, or causes to be subjected")

Because there is no respondeat superior in § 1983, a plaintiff must plead and prove that each Government-official defendant, through the official's own individual actions, has violated the Constitution (Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 676 (2009)).

2 merits instance blocks; 2 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 8 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 8	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (8). Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
personal-involvement provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether this defendant personally took part in the deprivation.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 1	1	Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — not · conceded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: requests-handled-by-subordinates-not-defendant Excluded context examples: Galloway v. County of Nassau — 141 F.4th 417 (2025) · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 2025 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: no-liability-for-events-defendant-took-no-part-in
supervisory-liability provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether a supervisor is liable for a subordinate's act through his own direction, policy or acquiescence.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	1	Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — satisfied · pleaded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: supervisory/established-rules-and-procedures-subordinate-followed Excluded context examples: Hudson v. McMillian — 503 U.S. 1 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — satisfied · proved (42usc1983: author: Fable · QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md)) · applied/lower-court · not counted Pattern: supervisory/on-scene-supervisor-condoned-subordinates-force

AND Damages remedy (legacy CASE id; not a prerequisite for prospective relief)

Remedy-specific damages issue retained for CASE compatibility. Compensatory damages require proof of compensable loss; nominal damages and other remedies have distinct rules. Article III standing is separately represented by standing-injury and is not synonymous with a damages award.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 12 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 12	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (12). Excluded context examples: FCC v. AT&T Inc. — 608 U.S. ___ (2026) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2026 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: PASS (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · comparator/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Hudson v. McMillian — 503 U.S. 1 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — satisfied · proved (42usc1983: author: Fable · QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md)) · applied/lower-court · not counted Pattern: compensatory/small-award-for-minor-physical-injury

DEFENSE Qualified immunity for government officials sued in individual capacity (Harlow v. Fitzgerald; Pearson v. Callahan)

Two-prong test (which courts may address in either order under Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009)): (1) whether the official violated a federal statutory or constitutional right, and (2) whether the unlawfulness of the conduct was "clearly established" at the time so as to give fair warning (Hope v. Pelzer; Mullenix v. Luna).

9 merits instance blocks; 5 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; provisional (1 case)	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 2	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (2). Excluded context examples: Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: not recorded Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: not recorded
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · rule-announced/merits · not counted Pattern: good-faith-immunity/public-defender-professional-judgment
clearly-established-law provisional; 5 observed cases	Whether the right was clearly established at the time at the relevant level of specificity.	8 Satisfied 2; not satisfied 6; excluded context 0	5	Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: clearly-established/adverse-employment-action-without-cause-contrary-to-state-statute Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: clearly-established/warrantless-home-entry-child-welfare-check-no-exigency Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: clearly-established/strip-search-of-child-during-unlawful-home-entry Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: not-clearly-established/no-authority-for-specific-conduct
objective-reasonableness provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether, the law being clear, a reasonable official could have believed the conduct lawful on the facts known.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	1	Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: objectively-reasonable-conduct/termination-after-third-party-ended-core-job-function Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/alternative · not counted Pattern: reasonable-mistake/force-on-erratic-arrestee-perceived-as-danger

DEFENSE Common-law absolute immunity (judicial, prosecutorial, legislative, witness functions)

Functional approach: absolute immunity attaches to judicial acts (Pierson v. Ray), prosecutorial advocacy intimately associated with the judicial phase (Imbler v. Pachtman), and legislative acts (Bogan v. Scott-Harris), but not administrative/investigative executive functions.

2 merits instance blocks; 2 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; 2 observed cases	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	2 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 2; excluded context 0	2	Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: absolute-immunity/public-defender-akin-to-private-counsel Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: absolute-immunity/state-executive-employment-decision

DEFENSE Eleventh Amendment state sovereign immunity bar (official-capacity damages / retrospective relief)

Bars damages suits in federal court against a State or state officials in their official capacities (absent waiver, whereas § 1983 does not abrogate sovereign immunity under Quern v. Jordan, 440 U.S. 332 (1979)), but does not bar personal-capacity suits (Hafer) or Ex parte Young prospective injunctive relief.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Hafer v. Melo — 502 U.S. 21 (1991) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1991 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: sovereign-immunity/personal-capacity-damages-not-against-treasury

DEFENSE Preiser / Heck v. Humphrey favorable-termination and habeas-exclusivity bar

Under Preiser v. Rodriguez (411 U.S. 475 (1973)) and Heck v. Humphrey (512 U.S. 477 (1994)), a prisoner cannot use § 1983 to seek immediate/speedier release or damages/relief that would necessarily imply the invalidity of an extant conviction or sentence unless the conviction has been reversed, expunged, or invalidated.

3 merits instance blocks; 3 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
administrative-exhaustion provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether state administrative remedies or notice requirements must be satisfied before a § 1983 suit (Patsy, Felder).	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Williams v. Reed — 604 U.S. 168 (2025) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2025 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: state statute requiring exhaustion of the unemployment-benefits administrative process applied to a suit complaining that the process itself is being delayed
heck-bar provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether the claim necessarily implies the invalidity of a conviction or sentence and so must proceed through habeas first (Preiser, Heck).	2 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	2	Olivier v. City of Brandon — 607 U.S. ___ (2026) · Supreme Court of the United States · 2026 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: plaintiff earlier convicted under the challenged ordinance (no-contest plea, fine, probation) sues only to enjoin its future enforcement Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — satisfied · conceded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: relief-in-nature-of-habeas/state-remedies-unexhausted

DEFENSE Borrowed state personal-injury statute of limitations (42 U.S.C. § 1988; Wilson v. Garcia; Owens v. Okure)

Length of limitations period and tolling are borrowed from state residual personal-injury law (Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235 (1989)), while accrual date is governed by federal law (Wallace v. Kato; Reed v. Goertz).

4 merits instance blocks; 4 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Bird v. Hawaii — 935 F.3d 738 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: registry listing discovered in 2012, suit threatened in May 2013, complaint filed July 2015 under a two-year borrowed period; ongoing effects of the listing are not a continuing violation
borrowed-state-period provisional; 2 observed cases	Which state limitations period is borrowed and whether the claim was filed within it.	2 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	2	Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: borrowed-state-personal-injury-period/filed-within-two-years Codrington v. Dolak — 142 F.4th 884 (2025) · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · 2025 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: Kentucky one-year period; claims accrued at the 2018 search or at the 2019 indictment and suit was filed in November 2021
relation-back provisional; 2 observed cases	Whether an amendment naming new defendants relates back.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 1	1	Nobre v. Louisiana Department of Public Safety — 935 F.3d 437 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · 2019 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: proper plaintiffs (decedent's children) substituted sixteen days after the borrowed one-year period; prison's own record listed the children Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: john-doe-defendants/no-relation-back-for-unnamed-officers

DEFENSE Issue preclusion / collateral estoppel from prior state criminal or civil judgment (Allen v. McCurry)

Under Allen v. McCurry (449 U.S. 90 (1980)) and 28 U.S.C. § 1738, federal courts hearing § 1983 actions give state-court judgments the same preclusive effect they would have in the courts of that State, provided there was a full and fair opportunity to litigate the identical issue.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: issue-preclusion/no-contest-plea-does-not-bar-excessive-force-claim

AND Judicial standing prerequisite, separate from damages remedy
JUDICIAL_PREREQUISITE: the statutory phrase is only a context anchor. Article III injury, traceability, and redressability are judicial standing requirements; prospective relief requires a real ongoing or imminent injury, not proof of a compensatory damages amount. This is not an additional quoted statutory test.
0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases
No routes recorded for this element.
EXCEPTION Statutory bar on injunctive relief against a judicial officer acting in a judicial capacity (1996 amendment)
Added by Pub. L. 104-317, § 309(c) (1996) to abrogate Pulliam v. Allen (466 U.S. 522 (1984)) with respect to injunctive relief against judges unless a declaratory decree was violated or unavailable.
0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases
No routes recorded for this element.

AND Municipal policy or custom as moving force (Monell v. Department of Social Services)

Satisfied by (1) an express municipal policy, (2) a widespread practice/custom so permanent and well settled as to have the force of law, (3) an act of an official with final policymaking authority (Pembaur; Praprotnik), or (4) deliberate indifference in failure to train/supervise (`policy.failure-to-train`).

2 merits instance blocks; 2 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; 9 observed cases	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 9	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (9). Excluded context examples: Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded Johnson v. Caudill — 475 F.3d 645 (2007) · United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 2007 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: not recorded
_comparator accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is used as a yardstick for another statute or question, not applied to this case's own conduct.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: United States v. Town of Colorado City — 935 F.3d 804 (2019) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 2019 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · comparator/merits · not counted Pattern: _comparator
_derivative accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element stands or falls with another element or claim and receives no independent analysis.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Codrington v. Dolak — 142 F.4th 884 (2025) · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · 2025 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · not counted Pattern: _derivative
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Dodson v. Polk County — 628 F.2d 1104 (1980) · United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit · 1980 — not · pleaded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: policy-or-custom/entity-named-only-as-source-of-authority
final-policymaker provisional; provisional (1 case)	Whether the decision was made or ratified by an official with final policymaking authority (Pembaur, Praprotnik).	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 0	1	Kamenesh v. City of Miami — 772 F. Supp. 583 (1991) · United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida · 1991 — satisfied · triable (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: police-chief-decision-ratified-by-city-manager

OR Municipal failure to train or supervise amounting to deliberate indifference (City of Canton v. Harris)

Under City of Canton v. Harris (489 U.S. 378 (1989)) and Connick v. Thompson (563 U.S. 51 (2011)), failure to train is actionable only where it amounts to "deliberate indifference to the rights of persons with whom the [untrained employees] come into contact" and a municipal employee actually committed an underlying constitutional violation.

2 merits instance blocks; 2 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_derivative accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element stands or falls with another element or claim and receives no independent analysis.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: derivative-of-deprivation/derivative-claim-falls-with-officer-claim
_whole accepted; 2 observed cases	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 1; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	1	Collins v. City of Harker Heights — 503 U.S. 115 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — satisfied · assumed (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: failure-to-train/deliberate-indifference-to-employee-safety Excluded context examples: Dye v. City of Warren — 367 F. Supp. 2d 1175 (2005) · United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio · 2005 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-v1-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/alternative · not counted Pattern: failure-to-train/no-showing-need-for-training-was-obvious

AND District of Columbia exclusive Act of Congress inclusion clause (1979 amendment)
Added by Pub. L. 96-170 (1979) to overturn District of Columbia v. Carter (409 U.S. 418 (1973)) and bring D.C. officials within § 1983.
0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases
No routes recorded for this element.

AND Rejected extra element: separate proof of "abuse of governmental power" (Collins v. City of Harker Heights)

Non-element rejected by the Supreme Court in Collins: § 1983 does not require proof of an "abuse of governmental power" separate and apart from proof of a constitutional violation.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Collins v. City of Harker Heights — 503 U.S. 115 (1992) · Supreme Court of the United States · 1992 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · rule-announced/merits · not counted Pattern: rejected-extra-element/abuse-of-power-separate-from-constitutional-violation

OR Federal action / Fifth Amendment claim (outside § 1983 state-law scope)

Section 1983 applies only to action under color of State, Territorial, or D.C. law; purely federal action requires a Bivens or Fifth Amendment theory with federal governmental participation.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Thompson v. Community Action of Greater Wilmington, Inc. — 567 F. Supp. 1159 (1983) · United States District Court for the District of Delaware · 1983 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · background/merits · not counted Pattern: no-federal-instrumentality/federal-funding-and-regulation-only

AND Collateral-order appellate jurisdiction over interlocutory qualified-immunity denials (Mitchell v. Forsyth; Johnson v. Jones)

Under Johnson v. Jones (515 U.S. 304 (1995)) and Scott v. Harris (550 U.S. 372 (2007)), a court of appeals on interlocutory appeal from a denial of summary judgment on qualified immunity reviews abstract questions of law (taking the district court's assumed facts as true unless blatantly contradicted by the record).

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 2	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (2). Excluded context examples: Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — satisfied · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: qualified-immunity-appeal/district-court-facts-blatantly-contradicted-by-record Henderson v. Glanz — 813 F.3d 938 (2015) · United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · 2015 — not · law (42usc1983: author: Fable · not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: qualified-immunity-appeal/challenge-to-evidence-sufficiency

AND Appellate preservation / forfeiture of issue not raised in district court

Procedural preservation rule applied in § 1983 appeals.

0 merits instance blocks; 0 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; provisional (1 case)	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Calabretta v. Floyd — 189 F.3d 808 (1999) · United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · 1999 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA1, neov2/qa/cases-QA1.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: not recorded

OR Section 1983 malicious prosecution claim (Fourth Amendment / procedural due process)

Under Thompson v. Clark (596 U.S. 36 (2022)), a Fourth Amendment malicious-prosecution claim under § 1983 requires showing that the criminal prosecution ended without a conviction.

1 merits instance blocks; 1 distinct cases

Curated routes and observed case patterns
Route	Definition	Merits instance blocks	Distinct merits cases	Examples (up to 3 cases per count group)
Unclassified route provisional; provisional (1 case)	no definition yet	0 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 0; excluded context 1	0	Used only in non-merits blocks (1). Excluded context examples: Galloway v. County of Nassau — 141 F.4th 417 (2025) · Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 2025 — not reached · basis not recorded (42usc1983: author: Fable · historical QA: PASS (QA2, neov2/qa/cases-QA2.md) · changed after review; current content not independently reviewed) · applied/procedural · not counted Pattern: not recorded
_whole accepted; provisional (1 case)	The element is decided as a whole: the reasoning turns on no narrower doctrinal sub-question that distinguishes it from any other application of this element.	1 Satisfied 0; not satisfied 1; excluded context 0	1	Codrington v. Dolak — 142 F.4th 884 (2025) · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · 2025 — not · no-evidence (42usc1983: author: Flash1 · QA: FIX (Fable, neov2/cases/TRIAGE-Flash.md)) · applied/merits · counted Pattern: undisputed, non-fabricated marijuana, grinder and firearm found in the car supplied probable cause even though the search had been held illegal