Crenshaw v. McNamara

119 F. Supp. 3d 148, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105387, 2015 WL 4744606
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedAugust 11, 2015
DocketNo. 15-CV-6229L
StatusPublished

This text of 119 F. Supp. 3d 148 (Crenshaw v. McNamara) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crenshaw v. McNamara, 119 F. Supp. 3d 148, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105387, 2015 WL 4744606 (W.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

DAVID G. LARIMER, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff, William Crenshaw, appearing pro se, commenced this action on February 13, 2015, in New York State Supreme Court,' Clinton County. The complaint names as defendants several employees of the Rochester Police Department (“RPD”) and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, as well as Charles J. Siragusa, who is currently a United States District Judge, but who is sued for acts he took in his former capacity as a New York State Supreme Court Justice.

On April 20,2015, defendant Sandra Doorley, the Monroe County district attorney, removed the action to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1441 and 1446. The basis for the removal is this Court’s original jurisdiction over this action, by virtue of plaintiffs assertion of claims arising under federal law. Plaintiff has filed a motion to remand the action to state court.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiff is an inmate in the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections and -' Community Supervision (“DOCCS”). The factual basis for his complaint is not entirely clear, but in general it seems to relate to his allegation that defendants knowingly used or permitted to be used false evidence against him in connection with a state-court prosecution, [150]*150which led to the conviction for which , he is now serving a sentence of incarceration.

The complaint repeatedly cites federal law, see, e.g., Dkt. #1-3 at 3 (alleging violations of, and claims arising under, 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 242, and, 1621, 42 U.S.C. § 1985, and the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution). Plaintiffs claims therefore arise, at least in part, under federal law, and could originally have been filed in federal court. In fact, in his motion to remand, plaintiff expressly states that this action “is one of which this court does have original jurisdiction.” Dkt. # 5 at 4 ¶ 13. It is clear, then, that there was a proper statutory basis for removal. See generally 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1441(a).

The ground for the motion to remand is that not all the defendants have joined in the removal. The general rule is that “[w]hen a civil action is removed solely on the basis'of federal question jurisdiction, all defendants who have been properly joined and served must join in or consent to the removal of the action. The requirement that all defendants consent to and join a notice of removal in order for it to be effective is referred to as the ‘unanimity rule.’” Stone v. Bank of New York Mellon, N.A., 609 Fed.Appx. 979, 981 (11th Cir.2015) (citing Bailey v. Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc., 536 F.3d 1202, 1207 (11th Cir.2008)) (additional internal citation omitted).

In opposition to the remand motion, defendant Doorley states that defendants James McNamara, John VanLoon and Richard Fontanza (“RPD defendants”), through their attorney, “verbally consented” to the removal. Deck of Mallorie C. Rulision (Dkt. #7) ¶9. She further contends that the other two defendants; .Larry Bernstein -and Judge Siragusa, have not been properly.served, which.obviates the need to obtain their consent to removal. Id. 10.

That is not, however, the primary basis for Doorley’s opposition' to the motion to remand. Doorley contends that plaintiffs motion is untimely, because it was filed more than thirty days after the case was removed to federal court.

“The law requires that a motion to remand ‘on the basis of any defect other than lack .of subject matter jurisdiction’ must be made within 3(1 days after the filing of the notice of removal.” Johnson v. California Dep’t of Corrections, No. CV 10-0797, 2011 WL 759928, at *2 (C.D.Cal. Jan. 7, 2011) (quoting 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c)), report and recommendation adopted by 2011 WL 765814. (C.D.Cal. Feb. 18, 2011). An objection based on a lack of unanimity as to removal falls, within that rule. See GE Betz, Inc. v. Zee Co., 718 F.3d 615, 632 (7th Cir.2013); Fryrear v. Medtronic, Inc., No. 13-cv-58, 2015 WL 1638388, at *2 (W.D.Ky. Apr. 13, 2015).

In the case at bar, Doorley’s notice of removal was filed on April 20, 2015, and plaintiffs motion to remand was filed on May 28, 2015 — outside the 30-day limit. The envelope in which plaintiff mailed , the motion to the Court was postmarked at Elmira Correctional Facility on May 26, 2015. Plaintiffs declaration of service, however, is dated May 19, 2015, i.e., 29 days after the notice of removal was filed. See Dkt. # 5 at 7.

Under the “mailbox rule” generally applicable to pro se prisoner cases, a pro se prisoner’s papers are generally deemed to be filed when the inmate delivers the papers to prison authorities for forwarding to the court. Joseph v. Conway, 567 Fed. Appx. 56, 58 (2d Cir.2014) (citing Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266, 270-72, 108 S.Ct. 2379; 101 L.Ed.2d 245 (1988)); Cole v. Chappius, No. 11CV912, 2015 WL [151]*1512128259, at *2 (W.D.N.Y. May 6, 2015). If plaintiff gave his motion papers to prison authorities for mailing on May 19, his motion would thus be timely.

As the record now stands, however, the Court cannot determine when plaintiff did turn in his papers for mailing. The seven-day gap between the date on his certificate of service and the postmark on the envelope is unexplained. The Court therefore directs plaintiff to submit further evidence concerning this matter, as set forth in the Conclusion of this Order, infra.

While the timeliness of plaintiff’s motion is a threshold issue, I also believe that in the interests of efficiency, it would be best also to have defendants address the unanimity issue referred to above. Though Doorley’s attorney has stated that thé RPD defendants, through their attorney, have given their oral consent to the removal, there is authority that the non-removing defendants must themselves convey to the Court their consent to removal. See, e.g., Getty Oil Corp. v. Ins. Co. of North America, 841 F.2d 1254, 1262 n. 11 (5th Cir.1988). Weaver v. Herman, Civ. No. 13-1634, 2014 WL 257847, at *5 (M.D.Pa. Jan. 23, 2014); Burr v. Toyota Motor Credit Co., 478 F.Supp.2d 432, 437 (S.D.N.Y.2006). See also Pietrangelo v. Alvas Corp., 686 F.3d 62

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Related

Houston v. Lack
487 U.S. 266 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Pietrangelo v. Alvas Corp.
686 F.3d 62 (Second Circuit, 2012)
GE Betz, Incorporated v. Zee Company, Incorporated
718 F.3d 615 (Seventh Circuit, 2013)
Burr Ex Rel. Burr v. Toyota Motor Credit Co.
478 F. Supp. 2d 432 (S.D. New York, 2006)
Joseph v. Conway
567 F. App'x 56 (Second Circuit, 2014)
Christine Stone v. Bank of New York Mellon, N.A.
609 F. App'x 979 (Eleventh Circuit, 2015)

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Bluebook (online)
119 F. Supp. 3d 148, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105387, 2015 WL 4744606, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crenshaw-v-mcnamara-nywd-2015.