Ames v. Vavreck

356 F. Supp. 931, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1101, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14790
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 23, 1973
Docket4-71 Civ. 269
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 356 F. Supp. 931 (Ames v. Vavreck) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ames v. Vavreck, 356 F. Supp. 931, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1101, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14790 (mnd 1973).

Opinion

NEVILLE, District Judge.

This case arose from the prosecution of approximately 20 plaintiffs following their arrests by Minneapolis City Police on the evening of May 9, 1970 at or near the private residence of plaintiff Lykken. The impetus for the arrests apparently was provided by a handbill distributed on the University of Minnesota campus which advertised a gathering at the Lykken home in Minneapolis to protest the construction of the Anti-Ballistic Missile system in North Dakota. The handbill contained the words “CASH BAR” and was noticed by a member of the Minneapolis Police Department who brought it to the attention of defendant Vavreck, an assistant city attorney for the City of Minneapolis. The police apparently were concerned about the possibility of liquor being sold without a license. Vavreck is said to have advised the police that the handbill would not provide the probable cause prerequisite to obtaining a search warrant for the Lykken residence. As an alternative to obtaining a search warrant, an undercover police officer entered the Lykken house for observation purposes. After having allegedly observed an unauthorized sale of liquor, defendant police officers Haertel and Searles notified defendant Tidgwell, who with a detachment of other police officers, entered the Lykken resident and arrested Lykken on charges of operating a disorderly house and selling liquor without a license in violation of Minneapolis City Ordinances 870.140 and 851.010. The other plaintiffs in this case also were arrested for participation at a disorderly house in violation of Minneapolis City Ordinance 870.140. The entire Lykken house was searched without warrant and numerous documents were seized. Plaintiffs were then taken to jail, searched, booked, fingerprinted and finally released after several hours in custody. Ultimately all criminal charges against all the plaintiffs here were terminated in Minneapolis Municipal Court with no convictions.

Plaintiffs have instituted suit here with jurisdiction premised on 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) and venue based on 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b). They allege that the city prosecutor and defendant police officers jointly and separately acted outside the scope of their official capacities and wilfully and knowingly acted with specific intent to deprive plaintiffs of rights secured by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment—freedom of speech, freedom of peaceable assembly and association, freedom from illegal search and seizure and unlawful arrest and freedom from illegal detention, physical abuse and intimidation. It is therefore urged that defendants’ conduct has given rise to causes of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 1 and 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3). 2 Plaintiffs concede in briefs *936 that their allegations do not state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 or 18 U.S. C. § 245 as originally claimed in the complaint. Defendants have answered denying that plaintiffs have stated a claim for which relief can be granted and alleging that the searches, arrests and prosecutions were carried out in good faith and for probable cause; that defendant Yavreck is immune from liability because of his official capacity as a prosecutor; that defendants Prentice and Lutz are immune from liability due to their supervisory capacity in the police department; and that the legality of the arrest of plaintiff Lykken, apparently the only defendant who stood trial, is res judicata in this case because of rulings in Minneapolis Municipal Court on the ordinance violation charges. 3

Previous orders have been entered by this court allowing amendment of the complaint to include additional defendants (June 2, 1972) and partially quashing a subpoena for the production of documents (July 18, 1972), affirmed (8th Cir. Dec. 26, 1972). The case is presently before the court on defendants’ motion for dismissal or for summary judgment. Summary judgment can be granted only if there are no questions of fact to be determined. Rule 56 Fed.R.Civ.P. Additionally, the Eighth Circuit cautions that such relief is a harsh remedy and should be granted only very sparingly. See, e. g., Passwaters v. General Motors Corp., 454 F.2d 1270 (8th Cir. 1972). Likewise a complaint should not be dismissed at this juncture in the proceedings unless all of plaintiffs’ allegations under any construction fail to state a claim for which relief can be granted. Lucarell v. McNair, 453 F.2d 836 (6th Cir. 1972); Madison v. Purdy, 410 F.2d 99 (5th Cir. 1969) ; Cohen v. Norris, 300 F.2d 24 (9th Cir. 1962); 2 Moore’s Fed.Prac. (2d ed. ¶ 8.13 at 1653).

The issues presented are 1) whether any defendants are immune from prosecution because of their official status, 2) whether plaintiffs’ allegations fail to state a claim for which relief can be granted under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 or 42 U. S.C. § 1985, 3) whether the municipal court rulings have res judicata effect as to plaintiff Lykken’s claims and 4) whether the statute of limitations precludes the addition of defendants to those originally named.

Immunity

(a) Of the Prosecutor

The question of whether a prosecutor will be held liable for damages for his acts depends on whether his conduct falls within the scope of his jurisdiction. Moore v. Buck, 443 F.2d 25 (3d Cir. 1971); Bauers v. Heisel, 361 F.2d 581 (3d Cir. 1966); Lewis v. Brautigam, 227 F.2d 124 (5th Cir. 1955). See Bethea v. Reid, 445 F.2d 1163 (3d Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 1061, 92 S.Ct. 747, 30 L.Ed.2d 749 (1972); Arensman v. Brown, 430 F.2d 190 (7th Cir. 1970) ; Kauffman v. Moss, 420 F.2d 1270 (3d Cir. 1970), cert. denied 400 U.S. 846, 91 S.Ct. 93, 27 L.Ed.2d 84 (1970) ; Marlowe v. Coakley, 404 F.2d 70 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 395 U.S. 947, 89 S.Ct. 2017, 23 L.Ed.2d 465 (1969); Savage v. United States, 322 F.Supp. 33 (D.Minn.1971), aff’d 450 F.2d 449 (8th Cir. 1971), cert. denied 405 U.S. 1043, 92 S.Ct. 1327, 31 L.Ed.2d 585, reh. denied 406 U.S. 951, 92 S.Ct. 2048, 32 L. *937 Ed.2d 339 (1972); Balistrieri v. Warren, 314 F.Supp. 824 (W.D.Wis.1970).

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Bluebook (online)
356 F. Supp. 931, 17 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 1101, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14790, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ames-v-vavreck-mnd-1973.