Sharon Putman, Joann Lee v. Unknown Smith, St. Louis County Police Officer Dsn 2116 St. Louis County

HEANEY, Circuit Judge.

Sharon Putman and Joann Lee appeal from the district court’s grant of judgment as a matter of law to the appellees, a police officer, a towing company, and St. Louis County, in this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

I

Considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the appellants, 1 the evidence established that Putman and Lee jointly owned a 1982 Lincoln Continental automobile. On January 5, 1990, Lee was a passenger in the ear when St. Louis County police officer Larry Smith stopped the car for expired license plates. During a search…