Berbick v. Precinct 42

977 F. Supp. 2d 268, 2013 WL 5510764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 143955
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 27, 2013
DocketNo. 11 Civ. 5292(RJS)
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 977 F. Supp. 2d 268 (Berbick v. Precinct 42) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berbick v. Precinct 42, 977 F. Supp. 2d 268, 2013 WL 5510764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 143955 (S.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

Memorandum and Order

RICHARD J. SULLIVAN, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Yolanda Berbick (“Yolanda”) and Clive Berbick (“Clive,” and with Yolanda, “Plaintiffs”), proceeding pro se, bring this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against New York City Police Lieutenant Ivan Gonzalez (“Gonzalez”) and New York City Police Officers Carl Hall (“Hall”), Jason Bragg (“Bragg”), and Liseppe Jordan (“Jordan,” and with the other defendants, “Defendants”). Plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint (Doc. No. 11 (the “SAC”)) does not state specifically what rights of the Plaintiffs have been violated. Nevertheless, construing the pro se pleadings liberally, Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir.2006), the SAC states claims for violations of (1) the Fourteenth Amendment right against deprivation of property without due process of law; (2) the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable seizures, as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment; and (3) the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches, as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment. Now before the Court is (1) Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on all of the claims (Doc. No. 32); (2) the report and recommendation of the Honorable Kevin Nathaniel Fox, Magistrate Judge, recommending that the motion be denied (Doc. No. 47 (the “Report”)); and (3) Defendants’ objections to the Report (Doc. No. 48 (“Objections” or “Obj.”)). For the reasons set forth below, the Court does not adopt the Report. Instead, the Court (1) grants Defendants summary judgment on the deprivation of property claim, (2) grants Defendants summary judgment on the unreasonable seizure claim, (3) grants Defendants Gonzalez and Hall summary judgment on the unreasonable search claim; and (4) denies Defendants Jordan and Bragg summary judgment on the unreasonable search claim. The Court also dismisses Yolanda as a plaintiff because she fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

I. Background

A. Facts1

On March 4, 2011, Plaintiffs were living together in a homeless shelter in the [271]*271Bronx. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 6; Dep. of Yolanda Berbick, dated Nov. 20, 2012, Doc. No. 33 Ex. C (“Y. Dep.”), at 13:12-21.) They had been married for over a decade, and Yolanda was then eight-months pregnant with their first child. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 5-6; Y. Dep. at 12:4-14, 37:2-3, 71:19-22.) That afternoon, they went to check on their van, which they had parked on the street, and which served as storage for all of their belongings — most importantly, food and clothing. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 8; Y. Dep. at 36:1-3, 44:7-10; Dep. of Clive Berbick, dated Nov. 20, 2012, Doc. No. 33 Ex. D (“C. Dep.”), at 53:1-16, 55:17-22, 58:2-8, 73:16-19.) But when they arrived at the street, the van was gone. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 10; Y. Dep. at 36:2-5.)

Plaintiffs walked to a nearby laundromat, where Yolanda called 9-1-1. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 11; Y. Dep. at 36:6-12.) She told the operator about their missing van and added that she and Clive were hungry and that Clive was feeling ill. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 12; Y. Dep. at 36:15-25, 37:1-16.) In addition to concern over the van, Clive was experiencing sympathetic pregnancy symptoms — also known as Couvade Syndrome — a condition where male partners of pregnant women experience physical and psychological symptoms associated with pregnancy. (Y. Dep. at 37:4-10); see generally Arthur Brennan, et al., A Qualitative Exploration of the Couvade Syndrome in Expectant Fathers, 25 J. Reprod. & Infant Psychol. 18 (2007) (describing the condition and its incidence). After speaking to the 9-1-1 operator, Plaintiffs waited for the police near where their van had been parked. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 14; Y. Dep. at 37:17-23.) When Plaintiffs began to feel too cold, they went inside a nearby church, where Yolanda called 9-1-1 again. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 15-16; Y. Dep. at 38:2-9.) She again told the operator about the missing van and that Clive was sick, and this time she asked the operator to send an ambulance for Clive. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 16; Y. Dep. at 39:20-25, 40:1-5.)

About ten minutes later, Defendants— four uniformed police officers — arrived. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 17; Y. Dep. at 40:21-24.) Plaintiffs came out from the church and explained that their van, along with all of their food and clothing, was missing, that they were both hungry, and that Clive was not feeling well. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 19-20; Y. Dep. at 43:10-17, 44:1-23; C. Dep. at 71:20-25; Decl. of Ivan Gonzalez, dated Jan. 11, 2013, Doc. No. 36 (“Gonzalez Deck”), ¶ 4.) Plaintiffs did not, however, mention Clive’s sympathetic pregnancy symptoms. (C. Dep. at 119:14-21, 121:13-17.) One of the Defendants conducted a search on his patrol vehicle’s computer and told Plaintiffs that the van had been towed because of unpaid parking tickets. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 7, 9, 22-23; C. Dep. at 54:7-9, 23-25, 55:1-8, 77:1-9; see also Decl. of Debbie Walsh, dated Jan. 10, 2013, Doc. No. 34 (“Walsh Decl.”), ¶¶ 5-7.)

Soon afterwards, an ambulance arrived. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 28; C. Dep. at 85:1-13; Gonzalez Deck ¶ 5.) An Emergency Medical Technician (the “EMT”) stepped out and spoke to Clive. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 30; C. Dep. at 91:23-25, 92:1-6.) The EMT asked if Clive wanted his blood-pressure checked, and Clive said he did. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 30-31; C. Dep. at 92:23-25, 93:1-3, 94:1-18.) Clive began to follow the EMT to the ambulance, but before Clive got into the ambulance, Defendants Jordan and Bragg frisked him. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 31, 33; C. Dep. at 93:4-19, 94:22-25, 95:1-7, 96:6-20; Mem. at 8.) Once in the ambulance, Clive explained that he was hungry and felt Yolanda’s pregnancy symptoms. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 39; C. Dep. at 95:20-25, 96:1-9, 119:10-21, 126:9-21; Deck of Victor Basabe, dated Jan. 10, 2013, Doc. No. 35 (“Basabe Deck”), ¶9.) The EMT found that Clive’s blood-pressure was extremely [272]*272high and told Clive that he should go to the hospital. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 40-41; C. Dep. at 98:7-11; Basabe Decl. ¶¶ 10, 12.) Both Clive and Yolanda agreed to go. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 42; Y. Dep. at 56:17-20; C. Dep. at 103:17-25; Basabe Decl. ¶ 13.)

Once at the hospital, Clive was taken to the emergency room. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 49; C. Dep. at 116:7-13.) Clive explained his symptoms, and a nurse suggested that he be admitted to the psychiatric ward. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 51-52; C. Dep. at 118:12-25; 121:18-25, 122:1-5.) But Clive refused. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 52; C. Dep. at 122:14-25.) Instead, Clive was treated for his blood pressure while Yolanda waited. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 53; Y. Dep. at 65:10-15; C. Dep. at 124:6-21.)

B. Procedural History

Plaintiffs initiated this action on July 5, 2011 by filing the Complaint. (Doc. No. 2.) The Complaint was brought against the 42nd Precinct of the New York Police Department and focused on the towing of the van and on Clive’s close encounter with the psychiatric unit. (Id.) Because the 42nd Precinct is not a suable entity, the Court dismissed the case against that defendant and granted Plaintiffs leave to amend the Complaint. (Doc. No. 4); cf. Toliver v. N.Y. City Dep’t of Corr., No. 10 Civ. 822(RJS)(JCF), 2013 WL 3779125, at *7 (S.D.N.Y. July 8, 2013) (holding that New York City agencies cannot be sued). Plaintiffs filed the Amended Complaint on October 17, 2011 against four “John Doe” defendants and added allegations that Clive had been frisked. (Doc. No.

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977 F. Supp. 2d 268, 2013 WL 5510764, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 143955, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berbick-v-precinct-42-nysd-2013.