Bertrand v. Kopcow

212 F. Supp. 3d 974, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 187448, 2016 WL 8199686
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedAugust 3, 2016
DocketCivil Action No. 13-cv-2513-WJM-KMT
StatusPublished

This text of 212 F. Supp. 3d 974 (Bertrand v. Kopcow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bertrand v. Kopcow, 212 F. Supp. 3d 974, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 187448, 2016 WL 8199686 (D. Colo. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT SHEILA MONTOYA’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

William J. Martinez, United States District Judge

This lawsuit began as a widespread challenge to many alleged wrongdoings committed by the State of Colorado against prisoners and probationers classified as sex offenders, as well as against their family members. Through this Court’s rulings and through mootness resulting from the passage of time, two Plaintiffs remain: Scott Winder (the family member of a sex offender and former probationer) and Ronald Murray (a parolee designated as a sex offender due to a juvenile conviction). These two Plaintiffs’ respective claims are very different. This order addresses Winder’s claim only.

Winder alleges that Defendant Sheila Montoya, a probation officer, violated his Fourth Amendment rights when she coerced his consent to her search of a locked outbuilding on his property. Currently before the Court is Montoya’s Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. [977]*977179), arguing that no reasonable jury could find a lack of valid consent to the search, and that, in any event, she deserves qualified immunity. For the reasons stated below, the Court disagrees and denies Montoya’s motion.

I. LEGAL STANDARD

Summary judgment is warranted under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 “if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a); see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A fact is “material” if, under the relevant substantive law, it is essential to proper disposition of the claim. Wright v. Abbott Labs., Inc., 259 F.3d 1226, 1231-32 (10th Cir. 2001). An issue is “genuine” if the evidence is such that it might lead a reasonable trier of fact to return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Allen v. Muskogee, 119 F.3d 837, 839 (10th Cir. 1997).

In analyzing a motion for summary judgment, a court must view the evidence and all reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Adler v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 144 F.3d 664, 670 (10th Cir. 1998) (citing Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986)). In addition, the Court must resolve factual ambiguities against the moving party, thus favoring the right to a trial. See Houston v. Nat’l Gen. Ins. Co., 817 F.2d 83, 85 (10th Cir. 1987).

II. FACTS

The following facts are undisputed unless attributed to one party or another, or otherwise noted.

A. Nik Winder’s Residence and Employment

At the time of the allegedly unlawful search at issue in this lawsuit, Nik Winder (Scott’s brother and a former Plaintiff in this lawsuit) was on probation by order of the Commonwealth of Virginia, having recently fulfilled the prison term imposed upon him for the felonies of criminal solicitation and attempted indecent liberties with a minor. (ECF No. 179 at 3, ¶¶ 1-3.) Through an interstate compact arrangement, Virginia permitted Nik to move to Colorado and continue his probation in this state. (Id. ¶ 6.) Scott, a Colorado resident, says that this relocation was at his urging, so that he could help Nik “get his life back together, create a business where he could make a living, [and] help him get out of debt.” (ECF No. 179-5 at 130.)

Nik lived at Scott’s home, from which they operated a window washing business. (ECF No. 179 at 3-4, ¶¶ 7-8.)1 Nik stored some of his window washing ladders in “the shed,” a locked outbuilding on Scott’s property that would eventually become the .focal point of this lawsuit, as described below. (Id. at 4, ¶ 10.) Scott says Nik could only get into the shed when he, Scott, unlocked it for him. (ECF No. 179-5 at 45.) Scott further says that this arrangement was normally not a problem because Nik did not use these particular ladders frequently, and because he, Scott, works from home and was “almost always there” when Nik needed the ladders. (Id. at 45-47.)

B. Montoya’s Authority to “Visit”

Montoya was Nik’s probation officer. (ECF No. 179 at 5, ¶ 21.) Like most probationers, Nik consented to some degree of warrantless searches by his probation offi[978]*978cer. For example, he specifically agreed to permit such searches of his “personal residence [and] vehicle.” (ECF No. 179-3 ¶ 26.) Montoya also asserts that Nik’s “terms of probation specifically allowed Montoya to visit his home and place of employment.” (ECF No. 179 at 6, ¶ 29 (underscoring in original).) Scott Winder admits this assertion without qualification. (See ECF No. 192 at 6, ¶ 29.) However, given Montoya’s use of the word “visit,” as opposed to “search,” the Court is not sure precisely what has been admitted.

“Visit” is, indeed, the word used in the probation documents cited by Montoya (one from Virginia, one from Colorado). (See ECF No. 179-2 ¶ 5 (Virginia form: “I will permit the Probation and Parole Officer to visit my home and place of employment.”); ECF No. 179-3 at 3, ¶ 6 (Colorado form: “You shall ... permit the probation officer to visit you at reasonable times at home or elsewhere.”).) But “visit” and “search” are not necessarily equivalent. Montoya, furthermore, states that probation officers are “trained not to open drawers, not to operate computers at visits, and to do nothing else invasive. We simply ask to visit or enter a structure and then observe what we see in plain sight.” (ECF No. 179-8 ¶ 6.) Nonetheless, the sum of the parties’ briefing suggests that they agree that Montoya could search Nik’s residence without a warrant, and that it would at least be a violation of Nik’s probation if he prevented Montoya from physically entering or observing his place of employment.

C. Montoya’s Visit

This case revolves around one particular visit that Montoya made to Scott Winder’s residence, where Nik also lived. The parties point the Court to nothing in the record specifying the precise date on which this visit happened. Montoya refers to it only as “the day complained of by Scott Winder in his complaint.” (ECF No. 179-8 ¶ 16.) The complaint, for its part, says only that it happened “[i]n 2013.” (ECF No. 81 ¶ 94.)

In any event, on the day in question, Montoya visited Scott Winder’s property. Montoya’s motivation for visiting is disputed, as are the precise events themselves.

1. Montoya’s Version of Events

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
212 F. Supp. 3d 974, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 187448, 2016 WL 8199686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bertrand-v-kopcow-cod-2016.