Marc A. Bell v. Dillard Department Stores, Inc.

HENRY, Circuit Judge.

This appeal concerns the effect of rulings in a prior, somewhat unusually conducted municipal court case on a diversity action for damages. The district court concluded that the municipal court’s determination that there was probable cause for the arrest of the plaintiff-appellant Marc Bell precluded Mr. Bell from re-litigating his claims for assault, battery, false arrest, and malicious prosecution. The court therefore granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant Dillard Department Stores, Inc. (“Dillard”).

For two reasons, we conclude that Dillard is not entitled…