Dorsey v. City of Lafayette

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJune 10, 2020
Docket6:20-cv-00024
StatusUnknown

This text of Dorsey v. City of Lafayette (Dorsey v. City of Lafayette) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dorsey v. City of Lafayette, (W.D. La. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE DIVISION

ANGELA DORSEY CASE NO. 6:20-CV-00024

VERSUS JUDGE JAMES D. CAIN, JR.

CITY OF LAFAYETTE ET AL MAGISTRATE JUDGE HANNA

MEMORANDUM RULING

Before the Court is a “Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss Amended Civil Rights Complaint for Damages Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Related State Law Claims [R.Doc. 8]” (Recs. 6 and 10).1 In its motions, Defendant Lafayette Consolidated Government (“LCG”) seeks dismissal of the Amended Civil Rights Complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and related state law claims. ALLEGATIONS In her Amended Complaint,2 through counsel, Plaintiff Angela Dorsey makes the following allegations: On or about February 20th, 2019, Ms. Dorsey was lying in bed with her boyfriend in his apartment in Lafayette, Louisiana.3 At about 3:00 a.m., officers from the Lafayette Police Department broke down windows and a door to the apartment to gain

1 Defendant filed the initial Motion to Dismiss (Rec. 6); thereafter, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint to cure deficiencies noted in the Motion to Dismiss. Defendant filed the second Motion to Dismiss (Rec.10). The Court will consider both motions in this Ruling. 2 Rec. 8. 3 Id. ¶ 4. entry.4 An “Unknown Officer” ordered Ms. Dorsey and her boyfriend to get out of bed and instructed them to put their hands in the air.5

Mrs. Dorsey, who was dressed only in her “nighty” complied.6 Unknown Officer immediately grabbed Ms. Dorsey, forcibly drug her outside and slammed her to the ground.7 Unknown Officer then handcuffed Ms. Dorsey and placed her under arrest.8 Ms. Dorsey was placed under arrest for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours and then released prior to being booked into the jail.9 Unknown Officer took Ms. Dorsey outside of the apartment in the yard; she was not allowed to put on any clothing during the time of her arrest.10

Unknown Officer did not have an arrest warrant against Ms. Dorsey, nor were there any exigent circumstances to place her under arrest.11 During the incident, Ms. Dorsey fractured her toe and was caused to have a blood clot.12 Ms. Dorsey alleges that Unknown Officer committed a second-degree battery and unlawful arrest in violation of her constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Mrs.

Dorsey also alleges damages under Louisiana Civil Code articles 2315 and 2320 for the vicarious liability of the City of Lafayette.13

4 Id. ¶ 5. 5 Id. ¶ 6. 6 Id. ¶ 7. 7 Id. ¶ 8. 8 Id. ¶ 8. 9 Id. ¶ 11. 10 Id. ¶ 12. 11 Id. ¶ 8. 12 Id. ¶ 9. 13 Id. ¶ 10, 15 and 18. RULE 12(B)(6) STANDARD Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) allows dismissal of a complaint when it

fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The test for determining the sufficiency of a complaint under Rule 12(b)(6) is that A >a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.= @ Hitt v. City of Pasadena, 561 F.2d 606, 608 (5th Cir. 1977) (per curium) citing Conley v. Gibson, 355

U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, (1957)). Subsumed within the rigorous standard of the Conley test is the requirement that the plaintiff=s complaint be stated with enough clarity to enable a court or an opposing party to determine whether a claim is sufficiently alleged. Elliot v. Foufas, 867 F.2d 877, 880 (5th Cir. 1989). The plaintiff=s complaint is to be construed in a light most favorable to plaintiff, and the allegations contained therein are to be taken as true. Oppenheimer v.

Prudential Securities, Inc., 94 F.3d 189, 194 (5th Cir. 1996). In other words, a motion to dismiss an action for failure to state a claim Aadmits the facts alleged in the complaint, but challenges plaintiff=s rights to relief based upon those facts.” Tel-Phonic Servs., Inc. v. TBS Int l, Inc., 975 F.2d 1134, 1137 (5th Cir. 1992). AIn order to avoid dismissal for failure to state a claim, a plaintiff must plead specific

facts, not mere conclusory allegations. . . .@ Guidry v. Bank of LaPlace, 954 F.2d 278, 281 (5th Cir. 1992). ALegal conclusions masquerading as factual conclusions will not suffice to prevent a motion to dismiss.@ Blackburn v. City of Marshall, 42 F.3d 925, 931 (5th Cir. 1995).A[T]he complaint must contain either direct allegations on every material point necessary to sustain a recovery . . . or contain allegations from which an inference fairly may be drawn that evidence on these material points will be introduced at trial.@ Campbell

v. City of San Antonio, 43 F.3d 973, 975 (5th Cir. 1995). Under Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the pleading standard does not require a complaint to contain Adetailed factual allegations,@ but it demands Amore than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.@Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (2007). A complaint that offers Alabels and conclusions@ or Aa formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.@ Id.

Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders Anaked assertion[s]@ devoid of Afurther factual enhancement.@ Id., at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955. To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to Astate a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.@Id., at 570, 127 S.Ct.

1955. LAW AND ANALYSIS Ms. Dorsey alleges that she suffered Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth violations of her constitutional rights. Defendant maintains that Ms. Dorsey has failed to plead any cognizable § 1983 claims, that Unknown Officer is entitled to qualified immunity, and that Ms. Dorsey’s punitive damages claim is not cognizable against it. Defendant also seeks to

dismiss Ms. Dorsey’s state law claims because they are barred by discretionary immunity, or alternatively, the Court should decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction of the state law claims. Finally, LCG seeks to be dismissed because Ms. Dorsey has failed to allege a constitutional deprivation as a result of any official policy or custom. Section 1983 creates a private right of action for redressing violations of federal law by those acting under color of state law. Through 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Congress provides a

damages remedy for plaintiffs whose constitutional rights are violated by state officials. Ziglar v. Abbasi, __U.S. __, 137 S.Ct. 1843, 1854 (2017). To state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must (1) allege a violation of a right secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States; and (2) demonstrate that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under the color of state law. Randolph v. Cervantes, 130 F.3d 727 (5th Cir. 1997); Piotrowski v. City of Houston, 51 F.3d 512 (5th Cir. 1995); Leffall v. Dallas Indep.

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