James Arthur Willis v. Bert W. Cool, Sylvester Young, Sr., and James F. Campbell

In this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, plaintiff claims that three Kansas City, Missouri police officers deprived him of federally protected rights by knowingly causing him to be indicted for murder on the basis of perjured testimony before a grand jury. (Plaintiff was later acquitted at trial.) After plaintiff rested in the § 1983 civil trial, the District Court 1 granted defendants’ motion for a directed verdict.

The District Court later fully explained its reasons in a published opinion, Willis v. Cool, 546 F.Supp. 458 (W.D.Mo.1982). It held, first of all, that plaintiff’s complaint failed…