King v. U.S., No. 97-B-341.
| Court | United States District Courts. 10th Circuit. United States District Court of Colorado |
| Writing for the Court | Babcock |
| Citation | 53 F.Supp.2d 1056 |
| Parties | Jerry KING, Gail King, Curt Rogers, Aimee King-Rogers, David McGuire and Jennifer McGuire, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES of America; Community Involved Chartered School; Jefferson County School District R-1; Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey; Jane Roe 1; Jane Roe 2; and Jane Roe 3, Defendants. Scottsdale Insurance Co., as Subrogee of Linda Farris, Plaintiffs in Intervention, v. Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey, by and through their respective parents and/or guardians, Defendants. Colorado Casualty Insurance Company, as Subrogee of Barbara McCabe; and Barbara McCabe, Plaintiffs in Intervention, v. Community Involved Chartered School; Jefferson County School District R-1; Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey; Jane Roe 1; Jane Roe 2; and Jane Roe 3, Defendants. |
| Decision Date | 28 May 1999 |
| Docket Number | No. 97-B-341. |
v.
UNITED STATES of America; Community Involved Chartered School; Jefferson County School District R-1; Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey; Jane Roe 1; Jane Roe 2; and Jane Roe 3, Defendants.
Scottsdale Insurance Co., as Subrogee of Linda Farris, Plaintiffs in Intervention,
v.
Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey, by and through their respective parents and/or guardians, Defendants.
Colorado Casualty Insurance Company, as Subrogee of Barbara McCabe; and Barbara McCabe, Plaintiffs in Intervention,
v.
Community Involved Chartered School; Jefferson County School District R-1; Wayne Emmett McKillop; Nathan Soares; Eli Messer; Loney Martinez; Troy Glandon; Dustin Lacey; Jane Roe 1; Jane Roe 2; and Jane Roe 3, Defendants.
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Eugene Deikman, Eugene Deikman, P.C., Denver, CO, James R. Florey, Jr., Englewood, CO, Scott A. McGath, William D. Thode, Van Voorhis, McGath & Overturf, P.C., Denver, CO, for plaintiffs.
William J. Kowalski, Colleen A. O'Laughlin, Caplan and Earnest, LLC, Boulder, CO, David J. Nowak, White and Steele, P.C., Denver, CO, Bradley D. Tucker, Walberg & Dagner, P.C., Quebec Centre II, Englewood, CO, Jamey W. Jamison, Harris, Karstaedt, Jamison & Powers, P.C., Englewood, CO, Marc R. Levy, Martha C. Ferris, Stuart D. Morse, Levy & Lambdin, P.C., Englewood, CO, Franklin D. Patterson, Craig S. Nuss, Patterson & Nuss, P.C., Englewood, CO, for defendants.
BABCOCK, District Judge.
Pending are Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) and (6) motions to dismiss filed by defendants United States of America (United States), Community Involved Chartered School
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(CICS), Jefferson County School District R-1 (School District), and Wayne Emmett McKillop (Mr. McKillop). After consideration of the motions, responses, and counsels' argument, I will deny the motions in part and grant them in part.
The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise stated. This case arises out of a forest fire that began on May 18, 1996 in the Pike National Forest near Buffalo Creek in Jefferson County, Colorado. Third Amended Complaint, ¶ 9. The fire destroyed the property, buildings, and dwellings owned and occupied by Plaintiffs Jerry King, Gail King, Curt Rogers, Aimee King-Rogers, David McGuire, and Jennifer McGuire (individual Plaintiffs). Plaintiffs allege that the forest fire started as a result of a campfire built by defendants Soares, Messer, Martinez, Glandon, and Lacey, id. at ¶ 11, students at CICS, a charter school in the School District. Mr. McKillop, a teacher and student advisor at CICS, took sixteen CICS students on a three day camping trip in the Pike National Forest to a site used by he and his wife pursuant to a twenty year "Term Special Use Permit" (Permit) issued by the United States Forest Service. Some of the students stayed in a cabin located on the land while others pitched tents near the cabin and at a site some distance from the cabin. At the more distant campsite, several students built a fire pit for campfires. An ember from one of the campfires apparently started the forest fire.
The following claims are pending:
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| Plaintiff | Claim Number | Defendant | Claim |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Jerry King, Gail King, | One | United States | Negligence |
| Curt Rogers, Aimee | | | |
| King-Rogers, David | | | |
| McGuire, and Jennifer | | | |
| McGuire | | | |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Two | McKillop | Negligence |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Three | McKillop | Statutory Liability for |
| | | | violation of |
| | | | §§ 13-21-105 and 18-13-109, |
| | | | C.R.S. |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Four | McKillop, Soares, | Negligent infliction of |
| | | Messer, Martinez, | emotional distress |
| | | Glandon, and Lacey | |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Five | CICS | Respondeat superior for |
| | | | acts and omissions of |
| | | | McKillop |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Six | School District | Respondeat superior for |
| | | | acts and omissions of |
| | | | CICS and McKillop |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Seven | Soares, Messer, Martinez, | Statutory liability for |
| | | Glandon, and Lacey | violation of |
| | | | §§ 13-21-105 and 18-13-109, |
| | | | C.R.S. |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Eight | McKillop, Soares, | Strict liability for |
| | | Messer, Martinez, | abnormally dangerous |
| | | Glandon, Lacey, CICS, | activity |
| | | and School District | |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Nine (sic) | (sic) | no claim pleaded |
|-------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| | Ten | Jane Roes 1, 2, and 3 | Negligence |
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| Plaintiff in intervention | Defendant | Claim number | Claim |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Scottsdale | McKillop, Soares, | One | Negligence |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | |
| | Glandon, Lacey | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop | Two | Negligent supervision |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop, Soares, | Three | Ultrahazardous activity |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | |
| | Glandon, Lacey | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop, Soares, | Four | Statutory liability for |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | violation of § 13-21-105, |
| | Glandon, Lacey | | C.R.S. |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop, Soares, | Five | Exemplary damages |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | |
| | Glandon, Lacey | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop | Six | Third-party liability |
| | | | under Term Special Use |
| | | | Permit |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Plaintiff in intervention | Defendant | Claim number | Claim |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| Colorado Casualty | McKillop, Soares, | One | Negligence |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | |
| | Glandon, and Lacey | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | CICS | Two | Respondeat superior for |
| | | | acts and omissions of |
| | | | McKillop |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop, Soares, | Three | Statutory liability for |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | violation of §§ 13-21-105 |
| | Glandon, and Lacey | | and 18-13-109, C.R.S. |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | School District | Four | Respondeat superior for |
| | | | acts and omissions of |
| | | [DISMISSED 4/17/98] | McKillop and CICS |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | McKillop, Soares, | Five | Exemplary damages |
| | Messer, Martinez, | | |
| | Glandon, and Lacey | | |
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| Cross-claims of | Defendant | Claim Number | Claim |
| defendant United States | | | |
| of America | | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | Soares, Messer, Martinez, | One | Negligence |
| | Glandon, and Lacey | | |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | Soares, Messer, Martinez, | Two | Liability pursuant to |
| | Glandon, and Lacey | | § 13-21-105, C.R.S. |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|
| | Mckillop | Three | Liability under Term |
| | | | Special Use Permit |...To continue reading
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17 practice notes
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Middleton v. Hartman, 00SC809.
...to the assertion of a claim against a public entity or public employee. Felder, 487 U.S. at 144, 108 S.Ct. 2302; King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1081 (D.Colo.1999) (citing City & County of Denver v. Desert Truck Sales, Inc., 837 P.2d 759, 763 (Colo.1992)). Thus, once notice is fil......
-
Dahn v. Adoption Alliance, Civil Action No. 13-cv-02504-RM-CBS
...the plaintiff.” C.R.S. § 13–21–102(1)(b) ; O'Hayre v. Bd. of Educ. , 109 F.Supp.2d 1284, 1295 (D.Colo.2000) ; King v. United States , 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1073 (D.Colo.1999) ; Zerr v. Johnson , 894 F.Supp. 372, 376 (D.Colo.1995).Taking the allegations in the Amended Complaint as true, and all......
-
Board of County Com'Rs v. Brown Group Retail, Inc., Civil Case No. 08-cv-00855-LTB-KMT.
...ultra-hazardous—thereby subjecting the actor to strict liability—is a question of law for a court to decide. See King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1076 (D.Colo. 1999), rev'd in part on other grounds, 301 F.3d 1270 (10th Cir.2002). In making such a determination, I look to the factor......
-
O'Hayre v. Board of Educ. Jefferson School Dist., CIV.A.99-B-2101.
...regard to the consequences, or the rights and safety of others, particularly the plaintiff[s].'" See, e.g., King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1073 (D.Colo.1999) (citations omitted); Zerr v. Johnson, 894 F.Supp. 372, 376 (D.Colo.1995). Wilful and wanton may "at times even imply an el......
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17 cases
-
Middleton v. Hartman, No. 00SC809.
...to the assertion of a claim against a public entity or public employee. Felder, 487 U.S. at 144, 108 S.Ct. 2302; King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1081 (D.Colo.1999) (citing City & County of Denver v. Desert Truck Sales, Inc., 837 P.2d 759, 763 (Colo.1992)). Thus, once notice is fil......
-
Dahn v. Adoption Alliance, Civil Action No. 13-cv-02504-RM-CBS
...the plaintiff.” C.R.S. § 13–21–102(1)(b) ; O'Hayre v. Bd. of Educ. , 109 F.Supp.2d 1284, 1295 (D.Colo.2000) ; King v. United States , 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1073 (D.Colo.1999) ; Zerr v. Johnson , 894 F.Supp. 372, 376 (D.Colo.1995).Taking the allegations in the Amended Complaint as true, and all......
-
Neiberger v. Hawkins, No. Civ.A. 99-B-1120.
...is treated as a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1). See King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1064 (D.Colo. 1999); see also Trinity Broadcasting of Denver, Inc. v. City of Westminster, 848 P.2d 916, 924 (Colo.1993) (immunity under the Col......
-
Board of County Com'Rs v. Brown Group Retail, Inc., Civil Case No. 08-cv-00855-LTB-KMT.
...ultra-hazardous—thereby subjecting the actor to strict liability—is a question of law for a court to decide. See King v. United States, 53 F.Supp.2d 1056, 1076 (D.Colo. 1999), rev'd in part on other grounds, 301 F.3d 1270 (10th Cir.2002). In making such a determination, I look to the factor......
Request a trial to view additional results