Barachkov v. Lucido

151 F. Supp. 3d 745, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117547, 2015 WL 5168616
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedSeptember 3, 2015
DocketCase No. 04-CV-73957, 04-CV-73977
StatusPublished

This text of 151 F. Supp. 3d 745 (Barachkov v. Lucido) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barachkov v. Lucido, 151 F. Supp. 3d 745, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117547, 2015 WL 5168616 (E.D. Mich. 2015).

Opinion

[748]*748OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ EMERGENCY MO- , TION FOR REINSTATEMENT , AND OTHER DECLARATORY RELIEF (ECF NO, 225) AND ORDERING DEFENDANT CHIEF JUDGE SEBASTIAN LUCIDO IN HIS OF- FICIAL CAPACITY TO DEVELOP A PLAN WITHIN 60 DAYS TO REINSTATE PLAINTIFFS TO COMPARABLE POSITIONS WITH THE klB DISTRICT COURT AND EDIT PLAINTIFFS’ PERSONNEL FILES TO REFLECT THE. JURY’S VERDICT

PAUL D. BORMAN, District Judge

. I. INTRODUCTION

Now before the Court is Plaintiffs Patricia Barachkov, Nancy Englar, and Carol Diehl’s (“Plaintiffs”) Emergency Motion for Reinstatement (Case no. 04-73957, ECF No. 225).1 Defendant Chief Judge Sebastian Lucido (in his official capacity) has responded to this motion through his attorney Peter Peacock and Plaintiffs filed a reply. (Case no. 04-73957, ECF Nos. 244, 245).

The Court previously held oral argument on this motion and Plaintiffs’ Motion to Substitute Proper Party in Interest on March 24, 2015. (Case no. 04-73957, ECF No. 231). Then Defendant Judge Linda Davis’ attorney Timothy Ferrand had responded to both Plaintiffs’ motion to substitute and them Emergency motion for reinstatement. However, after oral argument and briefing the Court granted in part the Plaintiffs’ motion to substitute, finding that the current Chief Judge of the 41B District Court, Judge Sebastian Luci-do, was the proper party in interest, striking then Defendant Judge Davis’ responses, to Plaintiffs’ motion for reinstatement, (see case no. 04-73957 ECF No. 243, Court Order granting Motion to Substitute), and providing Defendant Chief Judge Lucido (“Chief Judge Lucido”) the opportunity to respond to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Reinstatement. (Id.). Defendant Chief Judge Lucido filed his response on April 27, 2015. (Case no. 04-73957, ECF No. 244). Thereafter, in accordance with the Court’s order, Plaintiffs filed a supplemental reply.' (Case no. 04-73957, ECF No. 245).

Oral argument on this issue was held on July 29, 2015. For all the following reasons, the Court will GRANT IN PART Plaintiffs’ Emergency Motion for Reinstatement.

II. BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL POSTURE

The Court recently summarized the long procedural posture of this case in its April 6, 2015 Opinion and Order reopening this action and granting in part Plaintiffs’ Motion to Substitute Proper Party in Interest and therefore adopts that summary here. (See case no. 04- 73957, ECF No. 243 at 2-4).

III. ANALYSIS

Relevant to the issues before the Court now, the Sixth Circuit held in its most recent decision in this case2 that (1) the [749]*749Plaintiffs’ constitutional right to procedural due process was violated because the they received no pre-termination process and there was “sufficient evidence from which a reasonable juror could conclude the Employees had a ■ legitimate - expectation of just-cause employment”, Barachkov v. Davis (Barachkov II), 580 Fed.Appx. 288, 296 (6th' Cir.2014); and (2) former Defendant Judge Davis in her individual capacity was entitled to qualified immunity for the decision to fire the Plaintiffs without a pre-termination hearing because she “made an objectively reasonable determination that the Employees served at will”, Id. at 298. The Sixth Circuit also recited the well-settled law that “[qualified immunity shields a defendant sued in his or 'her individual capacity from monetary'liability; it does not shield a defendant from official-capacity claims for equitable relief, Hall v. Tollett, 128 F.3d 418, 430 (6th Cir,1997), nor does it shield a defendant form individual-capacity claims - for equitable -relief, Flagner v. Wilkinson, 241 F.3d 475; 483 (6th Cir.2001).” Barachkov II, at 294.

Also pertinent to the issues before this Court are those issues that the Sixth Circuit did not address, overturn, or mention in its most recent treatment of this case. Most notably, Barachkov II did not disturb or implicate the Jury’s finding (as set forth in the, verdict form) that there was not “just cause” to terminate any of the Plaintiffs. Indeed, relevant to this motion, Barachkov II only addressed issues relating to whether there was sufficient evidence that Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights had been violated (finding in the affirmative) and whether Defendant Judge Davis’ determination that the Plaintiffs served at-will was a reasonable determination given the .facts such that qualified immunity was appropriate (finding in the affirmative).

Accordingly, Plaintiffs now come before this Court in a legal scenario where a jury has ’determined that' their constitutional right to due process was violated and that there was no “just cause” to’terminate theft, but are not entitled to the compensatory or punitive damages because former Defendant Judge Davis was entitled to qualified immunity. ' Plaintiffs now renew their request for prospective injunctive relief against the proper party in interest, Defendant Chief Judge Lucido, and seek “an Order compelling Defendant to remove negative information relating to their terminations from their personnel files, reinstating the Plaintiffs to the-same or similar positions as the ones from which they were illegally removed, and issuing a declaratory judgment in their favors,” (Case No. 04-73957, ECF No. 225, at 3).

Defendant Chief Judge Lucido opposes Plaintiffs’ request’ for reinstatement for a number of reasons. The Court will address each in turn.

A. Whether reinstatement is an available remedy in the context of a Htfi Amendment Claim

It is a “well-settled principle that the . nature and scope of the remedy are to be-determined by the violation, means simply that federal-court decrees must directly address and relate to the constitutional violation itself.” Milliken v. Bradley, 433 U.S. 267, 282, 97 S.Ct. 2749, 53 L.Ed.2d 745 (1977); Carey v. Piphus, 435 U.S. 247, 259, 98 S.Ct. 1042, 55 L.Ed.2d 252 (1978) (holding that compensation for injuries flowing from the deprivation of a constitutional rights “should. be tailored to the interests protected by the particular right [750]*750in question”); see also Brody v. Village -of Port Chester, 345 F,8d 108;. 119 (2d Cir. 2003) (when due process is-violated -the appropriate remedy “depends on the stage at which the violation is found and the relief sought.”). In this action,. Defendant Chief Judge Lucido argues that reinstatement is not “appropriate” in the context of a Fourteenth Amendment, Due Process claim in part because such a remedy, would not address the constitutional violation that occurred. Rather, Defendant Chief Judge Lucido contends that Plaintiffs are only entitled-to have him provide a “notice and-hearing” to determine whether-good cause existed for their terminations. (Def.’s Re.sp, .at 13).

' Defendant Chief Judge LUcido’s current argument is without merit. First, the Sixth Circuit in Barachkov I already indicated that equitable prospectivé relief was a possible available remedy' iri this action. Barachkov v. Davis (Bamchkov. I), 311 Fed.Appx. 863, 872-73 (6th Cir.2009). Indeed, in Barachkov I,

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Bluebook (online)
151 F. Supp. 3d 745, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117547, 2015 WL 5168616, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barachkov-v-lucido-mied-2015.