Callahan v. City of New York

90 F. Supp. 3d 60, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33824, 2015 WL 1119728
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided March 13, 2015·No. No. 13-CV-2726 (WFK)(LB)·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

WILLIAM F. KUNTZ, II, District Judge.

Plaintiff Daniel Callahan (“Plaintiff’) brings this action against Defendants City of New York, Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”) Qase Worker Patricia Smith, Sergeant Robert Holt, and Police Officers Timothy Evans and Jimmy Ponce (collectively “Defendants”) for violation of his civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 as well as a New York state law claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges claims of false arrest, malicious prosecution, violation of due process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 on the basis that Plaintiffs claims must fail as a matter of law and fact, on the basis that most of the Defendants are protected by qualified immunity, and on the basis that a claim cannot be sustained against the City of New York under Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 690-91, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978). Plaintiff contests Defendants’ motion in its entirety. For the reasons set forth below, Defendants’ motion is hereby GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

The following facts are either undisputed or described in the light most favorable to Plaintiff, the non-moving party. See Capobianco v. City of New York, 422 F.3d 47, 50 n. 1 (2d Cir.2005).

August 13, 2010 Incident and Arrest

On August 12, 2010, Plaintiff was living in a family shelter located at 228 Pulaski Street in Brooklyn, New York. Dkt. 74 [65]*65(“Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement”) at ¶ 12; Dkt. 77 (“P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement”) at ¶ 12. On that date, Plaintiff’s young children, Isis (age 5 or 6) and Nicole (age 13), were living with him at the shelter. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 14-16; Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 14-16.

At 11:30 P.M., Plaintiff left the shelter, leaving his two children in their room. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 17. Plaintiff alleges that he left the door to his and his children’s room locked. Id. at ¶ 22. Around 2:00 A.M., a security guard entered the room and found Plaintiffs two children alone. Id. at 18; Dkt. 78-8 (“April 3, 2012 Fam. Ct. Transcript”) at 31. At 2:33 A.M., the security guard called 911 to inform the New York City Police Department that the children had been left unattended. Police Officers Timothy Evans (“Evans”) and Jimmy Ponce (“Ponce”) responded to the call. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 17-19; Dkt. 75-10 (“911 Call Log”). After observing the children alone in the room, Officers Evans and Ponce called Sergeant Holt (“Holt”) for assistance. Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 22; P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 22. After speaking with Plaintiffs children and the security guard, the three officers removed the children from the shelter and transported them to ACS in Manhattan. Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 23. The two children were placed into the custody of ACS without the permission of the Plaintiff and without a court order. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 24.

More than two hours later, Plaintiff returned to the shelter. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 25; Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶25. Upon his return, Plaintiff was told to report to the 79 Precinct, which he did after waiting at the shelter for forty-five minutes. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 26-27; Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 26-27. Plaintiff arrived at the precinct at around 7:00 A.M. on the morning of August 13, 2010. April 3, 2012 Fam. Ct. Transcript at 64. Plaintiff was then placed under arrest and charged with two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 30; Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 30. These criminal charges were dismissed in the interests of justice on August 19, 2010, at which point Plaintiff was released from jail. Dkt. 75-12 (“Crim. Dispo.”); P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 48 (noting his release from jail on August 19, 2010).

Family Court Proceedings

On'August 16, 2010, ACS Caseworker Patricia Smith filed two neglect petitions, one on behalf of each of Plaintiffs children, under Article 10 of the Family Court Act in Queens County Family Court. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 33-35; Ds’ Rule 56.1 Statement at ¶ 33-35. That same day, a hearing was held before the Honorable Margaret McGowan of Queens County Family Court. Dkt. 75-13 (“Aug. 16, 2010 Fam. Ct. Transcript”). Judge McGowan remanded the children to the custody of ACS, finding that this was in the best interests of the children and that the emergency removal of the children was proper under Section 1024 of the New York Family Court Act. Id. at 4-5; Dkt. 79-1 (“Excerpts of the Queens County Family Court official record for Dockets No. NN17767-68110”) at 20-23; see also P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 37-38. It is uncontested that Plaintiff was not present at the August 16, 2010 hearing. See, e.g., P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 41.

At the August 16, 2010 hearing, Judge McGowan ordered that Plaintiff be served ■ with the Summons and Petition. Aug. 16, 2010 Fam. Ct. Transcript at 4-6. Plaintiff alleges that he was never served. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 43. At a. [66]*66subsequent hearing on August 19, 2010, the Honorable Maria Arias of Queens County Family Court was informed that Plaintiff had been served, and she ordered that he be produced for a hearing on September 13, 2010. Dkt. 75-14 (“Aug. 19, 2010 Fam. Ct. Transcript”) at 2-3.

On September 13, 2010, it is uncontested that Plaintiff was present in Queens County Family Court. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 45. Plaintiff was assigned counsel at the hearing. Dkt. 75-15 (“Sept. 13, 2010 Fam. Ct. Transcript”) at 8. Plaintiff alleges that he was unable to speak to his counsel before the hearing and that he was not contacted by his counsel again until months after the hearing. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 45.

On January 24, 2012, after a late October transfer of the Article 10 Petitions from Queens County Family Court to Kings County Family Court, the Kings County Family Court determined that continued placement of the children in the custody of the Commissioner of Social Services was in the children’s best interests. P’s Rule 56.1 Counter Statement at ¶ 46-47.

On April 3, 2012, the Article 10 Petitions against Plaintiff were dismissed. Dkt. 79-2 (“Excerpts of the Kings County Family Court official record for Dockets No. NN32613-14110”) at 5. On September 12, 2012, the children were permanently placed with their mother and the case was closed with a final discharge of the children from the custody of the Commissioner of Social Services. Id. at 3-4.

Procedural History

Plaintiff filed his complaint on May 2, 2013 and his amended complaint on November 26, 2013. Dkt. 1 (“Compl.”); Dkt. 30 (“Amended Compl.”). The Court reads Plaintiffs complaint and subsequent filings as alleging claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983

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Callahan v. City of New York, 90 F. Supp. 3d 60, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33824, 2015 WL 1119728 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

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