Betancourt v. Slavin

676 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117372, 2009 WL 5064474
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedDecember 16, 2009
DocketCiv. 3:05CV1906 (HBF)
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 676 F. Supp. 2d 71 (Betancourt v. Slavin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Betancourt v. Slavin, 676 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117372, 2009 WL 5064474 (D. Conn. 2009).

Opinion

RULING ON MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

HOLLY B. FITZSIMMONS, United States Magistrate Judge.

Plaintiff, Lucas Betancourt, brings this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Sergeant Michael Slavin, Lieutenant Edward Apicella, Officer Stanley Stasaitis and Detective William Howard Jones deprived him of constitutional rights secured by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. 1 Plaintiff also alleges violations of state law as pendant claims to this action. 2

Pending is defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on fourteen grounds. 3

Plaintiff consents to the entry of judgment on the following claims: (1) any claim regarding plaintiffs rights to be free from seizure, arrest and imprisonment without probable cause (as to all defendants); (2) Count Two, interference with plaintiffs right to counsel in violation of the Sixth Amendment (as to all defendants); (3) Count Three, wrongful custodial interrogation in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment (as to all defendants); (4) Count Four, deliberate indifference to need for medical treatment in violation of the Eighth Amendment 4 (as to all defendants); and (5) Counts Five and Six, common law assault and battery (as to defendants Stasaitis and Jones only). [Doc. # 61 at 1],

For the reasons that follow, defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [Doc. # 57] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

*75 STANDARD OF LAW

Summary judgment is appropriate where there exists no genuine issue of material fact and, based on the undisputed facts, the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See D’Amico v. City of New York, 132 F.3d 145, 149 (2d Cir.1998); see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The non-moving party may not rely on conclusory allegations or unsubstantiated speculation. See D’Amico, 132 F.3d at 149. Instead, the non-moving party must produce specific, particularized facts indicating that a genuine factual issue exists. See Wright v. Coughlin, 132 F.3d 133, 137 (2d Cir.1998). To defeat summary judgment, “there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the [non-movant].” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. If the evidence produced by the non-moving party is merely colorable or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted. See id. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

Pursuant to D. Conn. L. Civ. ft. 56(a)(3), Each statement of material fact in a Local Rule 56(a)l Statement by a movant or by an opponent in a Local Rule 56(a)2 Statement, and each denial in an opponent’s Local Rule 56(a)2 Statement, must be followed by a specific citation to (1) the affidavit of a witness competent to testify as to the facts at trial and/or (2) evidence that would be admissible at trial. The affidavits, deposition testimony, responses to discovery requests, or other documents containing such evidence shall be filed and served with the Local Rule 56(a)l and 2 Statements in conformity with Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). Counsel and pro se parties are hereby notified that failure to provide specific citations to evidence in the record as required by this Local Rule may result in sanctions, including, when the movant fails to comply, an order denying the motion for summary judgment, and, when the opponent fails to comply, an order granting the motion.

A party may not create a genuine issue of material fact by presenting contradictory or unsupported statements. See Securities & Exchange Comm’n v. Research Automation Corp., 585 F.2d 31, 33 (2d Cir.1978). Nor may he rest on the “mere allegations or denials” contained in his pleadings. Goenaga v. March of Dimes Birth Defects Found., 51 F.3d 14, 18 (2d Cir.1995). See also Ying Jing Gan v. City of New York, 996 F.2d 522, 532 (2d Cir.1993) (holding that party may not rely on conclusory statements or an argument that the affidavits in support of the motion for summary judgment are not credible). A self-serving affidavit which reiterates the conclusory allegations of the complaint in affidavit form is insufficient to preclude summary judgment. See Lujan v. National Wildlife Fed’n, 497 U.S. 871, 888, 110 S.Ct. 3177, 111 L.Ed.2d 695 (1990). “The nonmovant, plaintiff, must do more than present evidence that is merely colorable, conclusory, or speculative and must present concrete evidence from which a reasonable juror could return a verdict in her favor.” Page v. Connecticut Department of Public Safety, 185 F.Supp.2d 149, 152 (D.Conn.2002) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted).

If a nonmoving party has failed to make a sufficient showing on an essential element of his case with respect to which he has the burden of proof at trial, then summary judgment is appropriate. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the plaintiff fails to provide any proof of a necessary element of the plaintiffs case, then there can be no genuine issue as to any material fact. Id. A complete failure *76 to provide proof of an essential element renders all other facts immaterial. Id. see also Goenaga v. March of Dimes Birth Defects Found., 51 F.3d 14, 18 (2d Cir.1995) (movant’s burden is satisfied if it can point to an absence of evidence to support an essential element of nonmoving party’s claim).

FACTS

Based on defendants’ Local 56(a)(1) Statement and exhibits [doc. #57-2], the following facts are undisputed. 5

1. On January 29 and 30, 2005, Sergeant Edward Apieella, Detective Michael Slavin, Detective William Howard Jones and Officer Stanley Stasaitis were active members of the Waterbury Police Department. [Def. Local 56(a)(1) Stat. ¶ 1],
2. On January 29, 2005, the Waterbury Police Department received a report of a home invasion at 63 Glenview Avenue. Id. at ¶ 2.
3. Mario Fusco, the victim of the home invasion, reported that three male parties knocked on his door and, when he opened the door, these males forced their way inside the home. Id. at ¶ 3.
4. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
676 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117372, 2009 WL 5064474, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/betancourt-v-slavin-ctd-2009.