Cheeks v. City of New York
Plaintiff Tatiana Cheeks sued the City of New York for false arrest and malicious prosecution after she was arrested for the death of her infant daughter, Cha-Nell, who died of malnutrition in 1998. Detective Donald Faust arrested Cheeks based on a medical examiner's autopsy report concluding malnutrition without an internal medical explanation, inferring parental neglect. Cheeks contended she diligently fed her daughter, and her expert proposed a 'failure to thrive' syndrome. A jury initially found no probable cause for the arrest, but the appellate court found that probable cause existed as a matter of law based on the autopsy report and Cheeks's sole caregiver status. Ultimately, the court reversed the jury's judgment for the plaintiff and remanded for a new trial due to the trial court's error in excluding part of the autopsy report (stating 'homicide (parental neglect)') after the plaintiff's counsel 'opened the door' to questioning about medical defects. The dissenting justices argued the issue of probable cause was for the jury and that the exclusion of the 'parental neglect' statement was proper.