DeMaria v. Washington County

12 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22104, 1996 WL 944370
CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedMarch 22, 1996
DocketCIV. 93-0249-S-BLW
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 12 F. Supp. 2d 1093 (DeMaria v. Washington County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Idaho primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DeMaria v. Washington County, 12 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22104, 1996 WL 944370 (D. Idaho 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

WINMILL, District Judge.

I

INTRODUCTION

The Court has before it a Motion for Summary Judgment and a Motion to Strike filed by Defendants. The Court heard oral argument on March 22,1996, and the Motions are now at issue. The Court will resolve the Motions after briefly reviewing the facts.

*1095 ii

FACTS

In 1990, Anthony DeMaria moved to Weiser, Idaho with his sons Tony and John. Shortly after the DeMarias moved into their home, their neighbor Tom Sorensen began to harass and threaten them. Anthony DeMaria recounts that in 1991, he “frequently called the Sheriffs Department to report Mr. Sorensen’s threats, which included warnings that he wanted to hurt my son, Tony Jr., that he would ‘kick my ass’ and kill my family” See, Affidavit of DeMaria at ¶ 6, p. 3. In addition to the threats of physical harm, Tom Sorensen also used ethnic slurs to disparage Anthony DeMaria’s Italian heritage.

When Anthony DeMaria first complained to the Washington County Sheriffs Department about Sorensen’s harassment, he was visited by Deputy Sheriff Jim Nelson. DeMaria alleges that he heard Deputy Nelson ask Tom Sorensen “is that asshole [referring to DeMaria] next door causing you trouble?” Id. at ¶ 6, p. 3. DeMaria alleges that Deputy Nelson treated him with “hostility,” and ignored his complaints. Id. At the same time, Deputy Nelson would shake hands and laugh with Tom Sorensen, and appeared to be a good friend of the Sorensens.

On other occasions, DeMaria’s complaints to the Sheriffs Department brought out Sheriff Mike Wadley. DeMaria asserts that Sheriff Wadley’s visits were just like those of Deputy Nelson: Sheriff Wadley was scornful with DeMaria but warm and friendly with the Sorensens. DeMaria recites a conversation where Sheriff Wadley told him “I don’t like you and I don’t want you in my community.” Id. at ¶ 16, p. 6.

The affidavits submitted by the DeMarias are also filled with hearsay concerning racial slurs made by Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson against the DeMarias. For example, the Affidavit of Randy Poston, a friend of the DeMarias, states that he heard Jerry Sullivan, a police dispatcher, say that he (Sullivan) had heard Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson (1) refer to Anthony DeMaria as a “wop,” and (2) state that they wanted to “get Tony out of town because he was a Sicilian and connected with the Mafia.” See, Affidavit of Poston, ¶ 7, p. 4. There is no affidavit from Jerry Sullivan; the record contains only affidavits from those who overheard Jerry Sullivan say these things. The deposition of Jerry Sullivan was taken, and the DeMarias have submitted excerpts from that deposition. But the DeMarias have not cited any portion of the Sullivan deposition to support their claims that Defendants discriminated against them on the basis of their Italian heritage. The Defendants have filed a Motion to Strike the hearsay allegations from the affidavits, and the Court will address that Motion later in this decision.

On March 26,1993, the DeMarias received a death threat by phone. The caller threatened to kill the entire DeMaria family. The DeMarias reported this to the Sheriff, but no action was taken.

The next day, March 27, 1993, Tony DeMaria, Jr. and three others were driving toward the DeMaria home. Tom Sorenson was driving in the opposite direction, and when he passed the DeMaria vehicle he shook his fist at Tony DeMaria who responded with “the finger.”

Tom Sorensen turned his vehicle around, and followed Tony DeMaria to the DeMaria home. There, Tom, and his son Keven, attacked Tony DeMaria. When Tony’s brother, John, and his father came to his aid, Keven Sorensen struck both Anthony and John with a club. Tom Sorenson then ran home and returned with a shotgun. The police arrived on the scene while Tom Soren-son was threatening the DeMarias with the gun.

The police talked to witnesses and confirmed that the Sorensens had assaulted the DeMarias, but no action was taken against the Sorensens. Anthony DeMaria claims that as a result of the beating he suffers from permanent low back pain, incontinence, and sexual impotency.

The DeMarias claim further that the Sor-ensens’ harassment continued after the fight and was ignored by Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson. This continuing harassment included incidents where the Sorensens allegedly set fires near the DeMaria home.

*1096 III

LITIGATION HISTORY

The DeMarias filed this suit against six named defendants: (1) Washington County; (2) three individual Washington County Commissioners; (3) Sheriff Wadley; and (4) Deputy Nelson. The original complaint contained three causes of action: (1) a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1985 that Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson, knowing of the Sorensens’ threats against the DeMarias, conspired to deprive the DeMarias of law enforcement protection; (2) a claim under 42 U.SC. § 1983 that Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson improperly failed to arrest the Sorensens on March 27,1993; and (3) a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1985 that Washington County, through the Commissioners, failed to properly train Sheriff Wadley and Deputy Nelson, and that Sheriff Wadley failed to properly train Deputy Nelson. Although the Complaint contained no claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 in the sections specifically dealing with the three causes of action, a claim under § 1986 was made in the Complaint’s general allegations section. The parties appear to agree that the DeMarias have made a § 1986 claim.

The defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss. The Motion was referred to Chief Magistrate Judge Mikel IÍ. Williams who issued a Report and Recommendation recommending, that the § 1983 claim be dismissed, and that the DeMarias be allowed to amend their § 1985 and § 1986 claims. Chief Magistrate Judge Williams made a thorough analysis of the DeMaria’s § 1983 claim that the Defendants violated the Due Process Clause by failing to protect the DeMarias from the Sorensens’ harassment. Chief Magistrate Judge Williams cited the leading Supreme Court case, DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, 489 U.S. 189, 109 S.Ct. 998, 103 L.Ed.2d 249 (1989), and its progeny from the Ninth Circuit, Wood v. Ostrander, 879 F.2d 583 (9th Cir.1989), and L.W. v. Grubbs, 974 F.2d 119 (9th Cir.1992). These cases define the narrow circumstances where the Due Process Clause requires the state to protect its citizens from danger from private parties.

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Bluebook (online)
12 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22104, 1996 WL 944370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/demaria-v-washington-county-idd-1996.