On June 26, 2016, plaintiff Ashley Watts was being dropped off at her apartment, in Newport Beach, by a taxi operated by Ali Khandantabrizi. Watts’ credit card was declined for the $16.70 fare. Watts asked if she could get money for the fare from her apartment. However, Khandantabrizi refused to let her go inside her home and, instead, called the police. When Newport Beach Police Officers Christine Maroney and Monica Aguilar arrived, they followed Watts to her apartment. However, Watts claimed that when they reached her apartment, she was slammed into a wall, where her head was struck. She claimed her legs were then kicked and she was taken to the ground. Watts alleged that the officers put their combined body weight on top of her as they handcuffed her. She was ultimately arrested on charges of public intoxication, petty theft and obstructing a police officer. The Orange County district attorney filed the charges, but they were dismissed. Watts sued Aguilar; Maroney; another officer, Jamison Hughes; the officers’ employer, the city of Newport Beach; the officers’ supervisor, Sergeant Joshua Comte; Khandantabrizi; and the taxi company, American Ground Transportation Inc. Watts alleged that the defendants actions constituted an unlawful arrest, an unlawful entry and excessive force in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights, and constituted retaliatory arrest in violation of her First Amendment rights. The city police officers’ counsel moved for summary judgment, which the district court granted in part. Specifically, it found that Comte was not liable for the officers’ actions, that the city was not liable for the individual officer’s alleged constitutional violations and that there was no malicious prosecution, but it denied all other claims. As a result, Comte was dismissed on summary judgment. In addition, Hughes was let out of the case. Since the district court found that Aguilar and Maroney were not entitled to qualified immunity as to Watts’ First and Fourth Amendment claims, the two officers appealed the decision. In October 2019, the Court of Appeals ruled on the interlocutory appeal for Aguilar and Maroney, finding that the officers had qualified immunity on the excessive force allegation. However, it allowed the suit to proceed on the unlawful-arrest claim against Aguilar and Maroney. The matter also proceeded with the claims against the remaining defendants. Watts claimed that when her credit card was declined, she attempted to retrieve money from her home, but Khandantabrizi refused to let her and, instead, called the police. She also claimed that Maroney threatened to take her to jail for "defrauding an innkeeper" or using services without paying for them, unless she paid the fare. Watts alleged that Maroney and Aguilar eventually agreed to go with her to her apartment to get money for the fare, but that when she did not allow them to enter her apartment, Maroney told her that she would be taken to jail. She claimed that at that point, she was arrested. Watts’ counsel contended that after the false arrest, Khandantabrizi signed a private person’s arrest form for the arrest and prosecution of Watts and that Khandantabrizi requested that Watts be jailed and prosecuted, knowing full well that Watts had not committed any crime. Khandantabrizi claimed that he only called the police to help collect his fare only, as was company protocol, and that his intention was not for Watts to be arrested or taken to jail. Maroney and Aguilar asserted that they had reasonable cause to arrest Watts for theft by false pretenses., Watts claimed that she suffers emotional distress as a result of the events. Watts’ counsel noted that when Watts was released from jail the next morning, Watts had no money and no way to get home. As a result, a cab was called for her and drove her home. Counsel noted that Watts told the driver that she had no money, so he waited for her to return to the cab with cash to pay the fare. Watts sought recovery of damages for her emotional pain and suffering.