Pembaur v. City of Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469 (1986), is a United States Supreme Court case that clarified a previous case, Monell v. Department of Social Services (1978), and established that municipalities can be held liable even for a single decision that is improperly made.

A physician and owner of a medical clinic in Cincinnati, Ohio was indicted for fraud regarding welfare payments from state agencies.

Two county deputies went to the clinic to serve the warrants, but the doctor and another employee barred the entrance.

Cincinnati officers arrived and attempted to persuade the doctor to open the door.

"[1] Justice Powell, writing for the dissent, stated that the Court's holding "is wrong for at least two reasons.

First, the Prosecutor's response and the Deputies' subsequent actions did not violate any constitutional right that existed at the time of the forcible entry.