Arditi v. Subers

216 F. Supp. 3d 544, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147295, 2016 WL 6216566
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 25, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION No. 15-5511
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 216 F. Supp. 3d 544 (Arditi v. Subers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arditi v. Subers, 216 F. Supp. 3d 544, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147295, 2016 WL 6216566 (E.D. Pa. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

PRATTER, United States District Judge

Ray Arditi filed suit against police officers from three municipalities, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated when he was handcuffed and searched in a McDonald’s parking lot and later received a citation for disorderly conduct. The Defendants have filed three motions for summary judgment, arguing that the undisputed facts show that they did not violate Mr. Arditi’s rights and that, in any event, they are entitled to qualified immunity. The Court heard oral argument on the motions. Because there are genuine disputes of material facts with respect to at least some of the claims, the Court will grant in part and deny in part each of the motions. Background

While Ray Arditi was eating at a McDonald’s restaurant on May 31, 2015, he told an acquaintance, Dakota Page, that another individual in the restaurant, Catherine Herbert, stole his wallet at some point in the past, and that Ms. Herbert and another patron, Paul Mick, had attempted to use Mr. Arditi’s credit cards to make online purchases. Ms. Herbert overheard this conversation and became agitated, threatening suicide. Mr. Arditi testified that Ms. Herbert also called 911. And, indeed, someone at the McDonald’s restaurant did call 911 and reported that a fight had broken out. Officers from three municipalities were dispatched to the scene. While they were on their way to the McDonald’s, a dispatch operator clarified for the officers that the fight was a verbal altercation, rather than a physical one.

When Mr. Arditi finished eating, he left the restaurant to walk to his car. As he [549]*549stood in the parking lot, he saw multiple police cars pull in to the lot. He states that several officers then got out of their cars and immediately approached him, demanding that he identify himself and screaming orders and threats.1 Mr. Arditi admits that he answered the officers’ demands with questions of his own rather than by identifying himself. However, according to Mr. Arditi’s account, he did not physically resist the officers at any time. Officer Clymer of the Brookhaven Police Department then handcuffed Mr. Arditi, and Officer Naegele of Upland assisted by holding one of Mr. Arditi’s arms.2 Meanwhile, Officer Young of Parkside pointed a taser at Mr. Arditi and screamed that he was resisting and was a terrorist. After Mr. Arditi was handcuffed, he informed the officers that his identification was in the trunk of his car. Mr. Arditi told the officers that his car keys were in his pocket, and Officer Clymer retrieved Mr. Arditi’s car keys from his pocket and searched his car to get the identification. Mr. Arditi was then released without being charged.

At no time during this encounter did Mr. Arditi tell any of the officers that the handcuffs were uncomfortable, although Mr. Arditi testified at his deposition that the handcuffs felt like knives digging into his wrists. Mr. Arditi submitted pictures of his wrists, taken shortly after the incident, showing marks. He went to the emergency room for treatment of his wrists the afternoon of the incident and saw his doctor a few days later, by which time there were no visible injuries. At that doctor visit, no treatment was given. He claims that his wrist injuries are ongoing, but it is unclear from the limited medical records he submitted whether his ongoing wrist and thumb complaints actually stem from this incident.3

The next day, Mr. Arditi went to the police department to complain about his treatment. There, he spoke with Chief McGoldrick, who denied him access to a police report and threatened to issue a criminal summons because of his complaints. Unbeknownst to Mr. Arditi, Officer Subers had already written in his notes at the end of Officer Subers’s shift on May 31, 2015 that he was planning to issue a disorderly conduct citation to both Mr. Arditi and Ms. Herbert. He then issued both Mr. Arditi and Ms. Herbert citations on his next shift, which did not overlap with Chief McGoldrick’s shift. Both Officer Subers and Chief McGoldrick testified that [550]*550Officer Subers did not need the Chiefs approval to issue a citation for disorderly conduct. There is no evidence in the record that Officer Subers and Chief McGoldrick communicated with each other about bringing any charges. The charges against Mr. Arditi were later dismissed, however, when the police officers failed to appear at a hearing on the charges.

Mr. Arditi then filed this suit. After initial motion practice and amendments to the original complaint, the following claims remain. In Count One of Mr. Arditi’s Third Amended Complaint, Mr. Arditi claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that all defendants except Chief McGoldrick4 violated his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by illegally searching his car and seizing him. In Count Two, he claims under § 1983 that all defendants except Chief McGoldrick violated his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by using excessive force against him. In Count Three, he claims that Defendants Subers and McGol-drick maliciously prosecuted him in violation of Pennsylvania state law. In Count Four, Mr. Arditi claims Defendants Subers and McGoldrick violated § 1983 when they conspired to maliciously prosecute him.

There are three pending motions for summary judgment, one filed by the officer or officers from each municipality. Mr. Arditi opposes all three motions.

Legal Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate only when the record fails to demonstrate a genuine dispute as to material fact that would permit a reasonable jury to find for the nonmoving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); InterVest, Inc. v. Bloomberg, L.P., 340 F.3d 144, 159 (3d Cir. 2003) (“The movant’s burden on a summary judgment motion in an antitrust case is no different than in any other case.”). “The moving party may meet its burden on summary judgment by showing that the nonmoving party’s evidence is insufficient to carry the burden of persuasion at trial.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The nonmoving party must point to evidence—beyond the pleadings—showing that a genuine dispute as to an issue of material fact exists, necessitating at trial. Id. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548. “On summary judgment, the moving party need not disprove the opposing party’s claim, but does have the burden to show the absence of any genuine issues of material fact.” Orson, Inc. v. Miramax Film Corp., 79 F.3d 1358, 1366 (3d Cir. 1996) (citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548).

Discussion

A. Officers Clymer and Subers and Chief McGoldrick (the Brookha-ven Defendants)

1. Counts I and II: Excessive Force and Unlawful Search and Seizure

In Counts I and II of his Third Amended Complaint, Mr.

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216 F. Supp. 3d 544, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147295, 2016 WL 6216566, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arditi-v-subers-paed-2016.