Board of the county commissioners of Bryan County, Oklahoma v. Jill Brown: Municipal liability and police hiring decisions

Abstract

Civil liability is a concern of all police agencies. One majority theory of recovery is based on the federal statute 42 USC §1983. The police hiring decisions have also come to the attention of police executives as a potential source of liability. The case of Bryan County Commissioners v. Brown represents an important precedent concerning both of these issues. This article discusses the case opinion, its ramifications for municipal liability based on police hiring decisions, as well as some of the potential implications of the ruling.