Court dismisses claim against officers who failed to act on suspicion of child abuse

The father of Jeremiah Gulley sued two Kalamazoo County Deputy Sheriffs after  two-month old child Jeremiah was murdered by his mother.  Gulley's father was arrested after the officers responded to a domestic dispute and found both he and the mother intoxicated.  The father, Lee Gulley, claimed that he warned the officers not to leave the child with thevery intoxicated mother, however, they disputed that allegation.  They did not call Child Protective Services, as is the normal procdure, and Jeremiah's mother threw him to the floor several times, hours later, causing his death.

Gulley argued that there should be exceptions to the laws relating to governmental immunity that would hold governmental employees and agents accountable for violating the Child Protection Laws.  The Court found no basis in Michigan law for such an exception and dismissed the father's wrongful death claim.