Cook v. Sutherland

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 14, 2020
Docket7:19-cv-02780
StatusUnknown

This text of Cook v. Sutherland (Cook v. Sutherland) 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
Cook v. Sutherland, (S.D.N.Y. 2020).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM ENDORSEMENT

Cook vy. Suterland et al 19-cv-2780 (NSR)

The Court reviewed Defendants’ attached pre-motion letter, dated September 17, 2019 (ECF No. 15). The Court has also reviewed Plaintiff's attached responses, filed on October 2, 2019 (ECF No. 17), October 24, 2019 (ECF No. 18), and December 2, 2019 (ECF No. 19.) Due to Plaintiffs incarceration, the Court waives the pre-motion conference requirement and grants Defendants leave to file their motion to dismiss with the following briefing schedule: Defendants’ moving papers are to be served (not filed) on February 13, 2020; Plaintiffs opposition is to be served (not filed) on March 16, 2020; Defendants’ reply is to be served on March 20, 2020. Defendants’ counsel is directed to file all motion documents, including Plaintiff's opposition, on the reply date, March 20, 2020. The parties shall provide two copies of their respective documents to chambers as the documents are served. Plaintiffs attached motions for summary judgment (ECF Nos, 20 and 21) are premature, and are therefore DENIED without prejudice to renewal at a later stage in the proceedings after sufficient discovery has occurred. The Clerk of the Court is respectfully directed to terminate the motions at ECF Nos, 15, 20, and 21. The Clerk of the Court is further directed to mail a copy of this order to Plaintiff at Plaintiff's last address listed on ECF and to show proof of service on the docket.

Dated: January 14, 2020 White Plains, NY

SOORDERED.

Nelson S. Roman, U.S.D.J.

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WAG FULTON EVE INIEN bee NAMIAAD TERT ER EN POINTE ON et NEON Ew eo SONA EO ELD Orange County COUNTY ATTORNEY ie ee Notes) Langdon C, Chapman ee Orange County Attorney STEVEN M. NEUHAUS County Executive Orange County Government Center 255-275 Main Street Goshen, New York 10924 Family Law Unit Sharon Worthy-Spiegl Tiffany N. Gagliano Deputy County Attorney Chief Assistant County □□□□□□□□ Family Law & Juvenile Justice Municipal Law Unit TEL: (845) 291-3150 TEL: (845) 291-2650 FAX; (845) 378-2374 FAX: (845) 360-9161

September 17, 2019 Via ECF Hon. Nelson S. Roman United States District Judge United States Courthouse 500 Pearl Street New York, NY 10007-1312 Re: Kevin Cook v. Officer Suterland, et al., Docket No.; 7:19-cv-02780 (NSR) Dear Judge Roman: Please be advised that we are the attorneys representing Officer Sutherland, Sheriff Carl DuBois and Officer DeWitt (hereinafter collectively the “County Defendants”) in the above matter!, We write pursuant to Your Honor’s Individual Rules to request a pre-motion conference for purposes of obtaining the Court’s permission to file a motion to dismiss plaintiff's complaint in its entirety as against the County Defendants on the grounds specified below, inter alia.

Plaintiff's complaint filed under 42 U.S.C. §1983, specifying constitutional violations under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, alleges that he was subjected to verbal harassment by Officer Sutherland. Additionally, Plaintiff alleges that during a pat down of his person, Officer DeWitt kept the palm of his hand on his backside for approximately 3 minutes while Officer Sutherland watched. “I]t is well-settled in this Circuit that personal involvement of defendants in alleged constitutional deprivations is a prerequisite to an award of damages under § 1983.” Byng v. Wright, (No. 09 Civ. 9924 (PKC) (JCF)), 2012 WL 967430 at * 13 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 20, 2012) (quoting Wright v. Smith, 21 F.3d 496, 501 Qd Cir. 1994)), “Because vicarious liability is inapplicable to ... § 1983 suits, a plaintiff must plead that each Government-official defendant, through the official’s own individual actions, has violated the Constitution.” Ashcroft v. Igbal, 556 U.S. 662, 676 (emphasis added). An official may not be held liable simply because he or she holds a position of authority. Black v. Coughlin, 76 F.3d 72, 74 (2d Cir. 1996). 1 Officer Sutherland incorrectly named in the caption as Officer Suterland. *Service of Process by FAX Is not accepted

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Specifically, Plaintiffs complaint makes no allegations regarding Defendant DuBois and his personal involvement in the alleged constitutional violations against Plaintiff, Defendant DuBois’ mere position as Sheriff of Orange County, with nothing more, is insufficient to allege a §1983 action. Plaintiffs also complaint fails to state a § 1983 claim for a violation of his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment2, Patterson v. Ponte, 16-cv-3156 (PAE)(JCF); 2017WL1194489 (S.D.N.Y. March 30, 2017). Plaintiff's allegations of a pat down of his person, which he admits was incidental to a cell search, fails to allege acts by prison officials which are objectively, sufficiently serious, without a legitimate penological purpose, and “undertaken to arouse or gratify the officer or humiliate the inmate.” Crawford v. Cuomo, 796 F.3d 252, 257-58 (2d Cir. 2015); see also Boddie v. Schneider, 105 F.3d 857, 861 (2d Cir. 1997) (abuse that is “severe or repetitive” can be objectively, sufficiently serious conduct), Darnell v. Pineiro, 849 F.3d 17, 29- 35 (2d Cir, 2017) (more lenient standard applies to pre-trial detainees when assessing the subjective prong). Plaintiffs claim of one incident wherein he experienced no violence, injury or humiliation fail to meet the standard. See McCarroll v, Matteau, 2010 WL 2346327, *4-5 (N.D.N.Y., May 17, 2010) (insufficient where prison official touched his penis during a pat down); see also Garcia v. Watts, 2009 WL 2777085, *6-7 (S.D.N.Y., Sept. 1, 2009) (defendant grabbed plaintiffs buttocks on two occasions and rubbed his penis against plaintiffs buttocks insufficient); Williams v. Keane, 1997 WL 527677, *9-11 (S.D.N.Y., Aug. 25, 1997) (insufficient where defendant put his hand down plaintiffs pants and fondled plaintiff's testicles). Moreover, Plaintiff fails to sufficiently allege a violation under the Fourth Amendment to establish a § 1983 claim as he had no subjective expectation of bodily privacy in a clothed pat frisk search of his person in a correctional setting. Plaintiff's complaint fails to allege that CO DeWitt had no sufficient justification to conduct a pat frisk of his person. In fact, Plaintiff readily concedes that the pat down was done in connection with fight at the facility, Covino □□ Patrissi, 967 F.2d 73, 78 (2d Cir, 1992) (routine searches of inmates, including strip searches, have long been accepted as not violative of the Fourth Amendment); see also Eng v. Therrien, 2008 WL 141794, at *8 (N.D.N.Y. Jan. 11, 2008) (allegations of improper pat frisks, even if true, do not violate the Fourth Amendment). Sufficient justification requires an analysis of, (1) the scope of the particular intrusion; (2) the manner in which it was conducted; (3) the justification for initiating it; and (4) the place in which it was conducted.” Harris v. Miller, 818 F.3d 49, 58 (2d Cir, 2016), see also Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 559 (1979).

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Related

Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Theadore Black v. Thomas A. Coughlin III
76 F.3d 72 (Second Circuit, 1996)
Schwartz v. Dennison
518 F. Supp. 2d 560 (S.D. New York, 2007)
Darnell v. City of New York
849 F.3d 17 (Second Circuit, 2017)
Crawford v. Cuomo
796 F.3d 252 (Second Circuit, 2015)
Harris v. Miller
818 F.3d 49 (Second Circuit, 2016)

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Bluebook (online)
Cook v. Sutherland, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cook-v-sutherland-nysd-2020.