Case v. City of New York

233 F. Supp. 3d 372, 2017 WL 571530, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19374
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 10, 2017
Docket14 Civ. 9148 (AT) (RLE)
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 233 F. Supp. 3d 372 (Case v. City of New York) 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
Case v. City of New York, 233 F. Supp. 3d 372, 2017 WL 571530, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19374 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

[379]*379MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ANALISA TORRES, District Judge:

Plaintiffs, Benjamin Case, Elizabeth Catlin, Jennifer Klein, and Mark Kushneir, bring this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City of New York (the “City) and nine individual defendants employed by the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), alleging that their constitutional rights were violated in connection with their participation in an Occupy Wall Street (“OWS”) protest in Manhattan. Defendants move to dismiss the second amended complaint (hereinafter “complaint”)1 pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). For the reasons stated below, the motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

BACKGROUND2

I. Events of November 17,2011.

On the morning of November 17, 2011, Plaintiffs were arrested while “peacefully assembling and demonstrating with others in the Wall Street area in connection with an OWS-related demonstration.” SAC ¶¶ 103, 154, 189, ECF No. 41; see also id. ¶¶ 233, 264. They- assert that, prior to their arrests, neither they “nor other non-NYPD persons present were causing or creating the risk of any substantial blockage of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or any other serious public ramifications,” id. ¶¶ 158, 193, 237, 269, such as “real public inconvenience, annoyance, and/or alarm,” id. ¶¶ 183, 221, 259,. 290. They allege that, “[wjithout first having given a clearly communicated dispersal' order or clearly communicated orders ... .and a meaningful opportunity ... to comply, police began to make arrests.” Id. ¶¶ 159, 194, 238, 270. Facts specific to each plaintiff are set forth below.

Benjamin Case. Case was arrested by Officer Downes3 and unidentified NYPD officers between 9:00’ a.m; and 10:16 a.m. in the vicinity of- William and- Beaver Streets. Id. ¶ 157. Downes rear-cuffed Case with plastic flex-cuffs, then escorted him to a prisoner transport'vehicle after which Officer Benjamin Amonte was assigned to process Case’s arrest. Id: ¶¶ Idles. For “around five hours,” Case remained rear-cuffed in the plastic flex-cuffs, which were too tight and hurt him. Id. ¶¶ 171-72, He was issued-a Desk-Appearance Ticket (“DAT”)4 and remained in NYPD custody until after 11:30 p.m. Id. ¶ 174. Case was charged with violating sections 240.20(5) and 240.20(6) of the New York Penal Law (disorderly conduct), as well as section 195.05 (obstruction of governmental administration (“OGA”) in tlie second degree); Casé eventually pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct violation. Id. ¶¶ 177, 187. The complaint alleges that Amonte and Sergeant ‘Lawrence Papóla “provided false and misleading information” to the district attorney, id. ¶ 175, including in an accusatory instrument sworn to by Amonte in which he stated, that he observed Case “standing in a [380]*380group of approximately 70 individuals, in the middle of the roadway,” and observed him “refuse to comply with [Papola’s] repeated lawful orders to disperse” by sitting on the ground, interlocking his arms with others and tightening his arms to prevent Almonte from removing him, id. ¶ 176. Case claims that Almonte did not actually observe the events leading up to Case’s arrest. Id. ¶ 179.

Elizabeth Catlin. Between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Pine and William Streets, unidentified NYPD officers arrested Catlin. Id. ¶ 192. She alleges that an officer stepped on the right side of her face with his boot, which produced a blood blister or bruise that remained visible on her face for weeks thereafter and caused her pain for several days. Id. ¶¶ 195, 208, 226-27. An unidentified officer then rear-cuffed her with plastic flex-cuffs, which were too tight and hurt her. Id. ¶ 196. Catlin remained cuffed for “an excessive period of time.” Id. ¶¶ 206-07. Officer Daniel Confortó processed Catlin’s arrest. Id. ¶ 198. The complaint alleges that Confortó knew or should have known that Catlin was injured, but that he did nothing to report her injury or the use of force that caused it. Id. ¶¶ 209-11. Catlin was in NYPD custody for approximately 38 hours before she was arraigned in New York City Criminal Court and released on her own recognizance. Id. ¶ 212. She was charged with violating sections 195.05, 240.20(5), and 240.20(6) of the New York Penal Law as well as parading without a permit in violation of New York City Administrative Code section 10-110. Id. ¶ 215. The parading without a permit violation was dismissed at her arraignment. Id. ¶ 218. Catlin eventually accepted an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (“ACD”) to resolve the charges.5 Id. ¶ 225. The complaint alleges that Confortó and Deputy Chief Brian McCarthy “provided false and misleading information” to the district attorney, id. ¶ 213, including in an accusatory instrument sworn to by Confor-tó in which he stated that he observed the following: Catlin “obstructing pedestrian traffic” by sitting in the middle of the street and locking arms in a crowd of approximately 50 people; McCarthy repeatedly telling Catlin and others that they must disperse or would be arrested, Catlin. remaining sitting with her arms linked; and an officer unlinking Catlin’s arms in order to arrest her, id. ¶ 214. Catlin claims that Confortó did not actually observe the events leading up to her arrest. Id. ¶ 216.

Jennifer Klein. At about 9:00 a.m., in the vicinity of Pine and William Streets, unidentified officers arrested Klein. Id. ¶ 236. An officer rear-cuffed her with plastic flex-cuffs. Id. ¶239. Officer Dmitry Tverdokhleb was assigned to process Klein’s arrest. Id. ¶ 240. For several hours, Klein remained rear-cuffed in the plastic flex-cuffs, which were too tight and hurt her. Id. ¶¶ 248-49. Klein was issued a DAT and remained in NYPD custody until approximately 11:00 p.m. Id. ¶ 250. She was charged with violating sections 240.20(5) and 240.20(6) of the New York Penal Law and eventually accepted an ACD to resolve the charges. Id. ¶¶ 253, 262. The complaint alleges that Tverdokhleb and Lieutenant David Groht “provided false and misleading information” to the district attorney, id. ¶ 251, including in an accusatory instrument sworn to by Tyerdokhleb in which he stated that he observed Groht tell Klein, who was standing in a group of over 200 people in the middle of the street, “multiple times that [she and the others] were [381]*381obstructing all vehicular traffic and were ordered to leave the roadway,” but that Klein refused to move, id. ¶ 252. Klein claims that Tverdokhleb was not at the scene when she was arrested and did not actually observe the events leading up to her arrest. Id. ¶ 254.

Mark Kushneir. Unidentified officers arrested Kushneir shortly after 9:00 a.m. in the vicinity of Broadway and Exchange Place. Id. ¶ 266. An unidentified officer rear-cuffed him with plastic flex-cuffs. Id. ¶ 271. Well after Kushneir arrived at a prisoner transport vehicle, Officer Michael Maldonado was assigned to process Kush-neir’s arrest. Id. ¶ 272.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
233 F. Supp. 3d 372, 2017 WL 571530, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/case-v-city-of-new-york-nysd-2017.