City of Grand Rapids v. Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Ass'n

346 F. Supp. 3d 1061
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Michigan
DecidedJune 12, 2018
DocketNo. 1:17-cv-113
StatusPublished

This text of 346 F. Supp. 3d 1061 (City of Grand Rapids v. Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Grand Rapids v. Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Ass'n, 346 F. Supp. 3d 1061 (W.D. Mich. 2018).

Opinion

Paul L. Maloney, United States District Judge

In 2010, the Grand Rapids Police Department overhauled its telephone system and replaced the existing technology with a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system. The new telephones included display screens, which provide information about the phone line and about incoming calls.

*1063For Line 3407, the telephone line that is the subject of this lawsuit, the display screen stated that the line was not recorded. In December 2016, officers discovered that the calls placed and received on that line were actually being recorded. The parties dispute whether this situation, and the subsequent use of the recorded phone calls, violates the Federal Wiretapping Act. Few documents concerning Line 3407 have been located in discovery. As a result, the finder of fact must make inferences about how this situation came to be. And, because this Court must resolve all inferences against the moving party in a motion for summary judgment, the portion of the motions for summary judgment addressing violations of the Federal Wiretapping Act and related state laws must be denied.

I.

The events that eventually led to the discovery of the recorded line began in the early morning hours on November 19, 2016. An assistant county prosecutor was driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He struck a parked car, which had someone in it. Some of the officers who responded to the accident were wearing body cameras. At least one of the officers suspected that the prosecutor had been drinking. The officer called the official duty line, Line 3604, at the Grand Rapids Police Department. Line 3604 is a recorded line and the number is published and publically available. Line 3604 is one of two lines assigned to the Watch Commander's telephone.

Defendant Matthew Janiskee was the Watch Commander that night and answered the telephone. When the officer on the scene informed Janiskee that he suspected the prosecutor was "hammered," Janiskee told the officer to stop talking and to call him back on Line 3407. Line 3407 is the other line assigned to the Watch Commander's phone. Line 3407 is not a published telephone number. When Line 3407 is used, the display screen on the phone indicates that the line is not recorded. That morning, five telephone calls were made from the scene of the accident to Line 3407, three from one officer and two from a second officer.

One of the responding officers issued a citation to the assistant prosecutor for driving the wrong way. The officers did not ask the assistant prosecutor to take a breathalyzer test. The officers did not issue a citation to the assistant prosecutor for driving under the influence.

Approximately two weeks later, the Kent County Prosecutor called Janiskee asking why the officers did not cite the assistant prosecutor for drunk driving. Third-Party Defendant Deputy Chief Daniel Savage learned about the prosecutor's inquiry and reviewed the accident report and the some of the body camera footage. In reviewing the body camera footage, Savage learned that the officers on the scene had called Janiskee. Savage informed Third-Party Defendant Police Chief David Rahinsky about what he discovered, and Rahinsky ordered a formal investigation. As part of the investigation, Third-Party Defendant Captain Peter McWaters directed Third-Party Defendant Lieutenant David Schnurstein, who was the Grand Rapids Police Department Information Technology liason, to determine if there were recordings of calls to Line 3407. Schnurstein discovered that all calls to Line 3407 were recorded. McWaters passed the information to Third-Party Defendant Deputy Chief David Kiddle.

To avoid a conflict of interest, Rahinsky requested the Michigan State Police (MSP) conduct a criminal investigation. The Grand Rapids Police Department provided the recordings to MSP. At the end of *1064its investigation, MSP provided all of its findings to Third-Party Defendant Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting.1

Multiple legal proceedings were initiated as the result of the accident, the citation, and what was discovered during the investigations. Criminal and civil proceedings were brought against the assistant prosecutor. Disciplinary proceedings were brought against the officers on the scene and against Janiskee. In the various proceedings, the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association (GRPOA) and Defendant Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Association (GRPCOA) asserted that the use of the recorded telephone calls violated both federal and state statutes.2 Several news organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the City of Grand Rapids, to MSP, and to Getting seeking access to the recordings from Line 3407.

As a result of the FOIA requests, the City of Grand Rapids filed this declaratory action.3 The City then filed an amended complaint (ECF No. 18), and then a second amended complaint (ECF No. 66), which is the controlling pleading. The City requests the Court issue an order determining its rights and obligations with respect to the Federal Wiretapping Act4 and the Michigan Eavesdropping Act. The City requests the Court determine whether the recordings may be disclosed to others or may be used by the City without violating the two statutes.5

Janiskee filed counterclaims, cross-claims, and third-party claims, all as class action claims. (ECF No. 24.) Specifically, Janiskee asserts claims for (1) a violation of the Wire and Electronic Communications Interception Act, (2) a violation of the Fourth Amendment under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, (3) a violation of the federal Stored Communications Act, (4) a violation of *1065Michigan's Wiretapping Statute, (5) a violation of Michigan's Eavesdropping Statute, (6) a common law tort claim for invasion of privacy, and (7) a privacy tort claim for intrusion on seclusion.6 Janiskee also seeks exemplary damages. As part of his claim for relief, Janiskee requests a declaration that the City and the officers violated the Federal Wiretapping Act. He also seeks an injunction preventing the Grand Rapids Police Department from secretly intercepting and recording conversations on Line 3407.

II.

Summary judgment is appropriate only if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions, together with the affidavits, show there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) and (c) ; Payne v. Novartis Pharms. Corp. , 767 F.3d 526, 530 (6th Cir. 2014). The burden is on the moving party to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists, but that burden may be discharged by pointing out the absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party's case. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)(1) ;

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Bluebook (online)
346 F. Supp. 3d 1061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-grand-rapids-v-grand-rapids-police-command-officers-assn-miwd-2018.