No. 25-7105October Term 2025DismissedUpdated Sep 5, 2026
Deonarine v. Monica Aguilar, Erroneously Sued as Lopez
John Deonarine, Petitioner v. Monica Aguilar, Erroneously Sued as Lopez, et al.
John Deonarine petitioned the Supreme Court after the Ninth Circuit upheld summary judgment against his Fourth Amendment false-arrest claim.
Case status
- Current stage
- Dismissed
- Latest event
- Dismissed
- Next
- Argument not yet scheduledArgument expected next term.
- What it's about
John Deonarine petitioned the Supreme Court after the Ninth Circuit upheld summary judgment against his Fourth Amendment false-arrest claim. He argued that the lower court improperly treated body-camera footage and an officer’s reading of a detailed licensing statute as establishing probable cause despite disputed evidence; the case was dismissed.
Question presented
1. Whether a court may grant summary judgment in a Fourth Amendment false-arrest action by treating body-camera footage as conclusive evidence of probable cause when the recording is capable of multiple reasonable interpretations, notwithstanding Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 sftequirement that courts view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. 2. Whether the Fourth Amendment permits a court to uphold an arrest at summary judgment based on an officer sftnterpretation of a criminal statute where the legality of the pfaintiftO conduct depends on a detailed statutory licensing framework and the evidence regarding that interpretation (including video evidence and sworn testimony & disputed.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Dismissed
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Briefing
What it's about
John Deonarine challenges the Ninth Circuit's decision against his Fourth Amendment false-arrest claim. He says the court wrongly treated body-camera footage and an officer's interpretation of a licensing law as proving probable cause (a reasonable basis to believe a crime occurred) without a trial.
Argument
Oral argument has not been scheduled. Deonarine argues that disputed body-camera footage and testimony should be viewed in his favor at the summary-judgment stage.
Impact
The dispute concerns when judges may end false-arrest cases through summary judgment (a pretrial ruling without a trial). It could affect people whose video footage or sworn accounts can reasonably be read in more than one way.
What's next
No decision window is available yet. Watch for oral argument or another scheduling move from the Court.
What is the core dispute in Deonarine v. Aguilar?
Deonarine says the Ninth Circuit treated disputed body-camera video and an officer's legal interpretation as conclusive proof supporting his arrest.
Who could be affected by the Deonarine case?
People bringing false-arrest claims could be affected when video or witness testimony supports more than one reasonable account of an arrest.
What happens next in Deonarine v. Aguilar?
No oral argument is scheduled and no decision window is set. The next development would be another scheduling move from the Court.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 5, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Mar 24, 2026 | Court records
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 5, 2026
- Method
- Methodology