Dunklin v. Lowndes County

894 F. Supp. 1527, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10921, 1995 WL 457826
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedJune 30, 1995
DocketCiv. A. No. 94-D-1129-N
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 894 F. Supp. 1527 (Dunklin v. Lowndes County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dunklin v. Lowndes County, 894 F. Supp. 1527, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10921, 1995 WL 457826 (M.D. Ala. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DE MENT, District Judge.

This matter is presently before the court on Defendants’ motions for summary judgment,1 which were filed February 21, 1995.2 Defendants contemporaneously filed supporting briefs. Plaintiffs filed a response and supporting brief in opposition to Defendants’ motions on March 10, 1995. A careful and full examination of the facts, pleadings and applicable law compels the conclusion that Defendants’ motions are due to be granted on Plaintiffs’ federal law causes of action and that Plaintiffs’ state law causes are due to be dismissed without prejudice.

Jurisdiction & Venue

Plaintiffs allege that the Defendants abridged certain rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution; therefore, jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.3 Plaintiffs also allege violations of Aabama statutory and common law. These purported violations transpired during the same transaction and occurrence as the alleged constitutional deprivations; therefore, the court may assert supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ state law claims. See 28 U.S.C. [1530]*1530§ 1367(a).4 Personal jurisdiction of Defendants’ person and venue are not contested.

Factual Background

Plaintiffs contend that on or about September 2, 1992, Defendant Head encouraged the Plaintiff Ray Dunklin (“Ray”) to become his informant and to inform him of anticipated or planned crimes to be committed in the City of Fort Deposit (“Ft. Deposit”). Plaintiffs aver that, subsequently, Ray gained knowledge of Stephon Davidson (“Stephon”) and Raymond Davidson’s (“Davidson”) plans to burn the house of former Ft. Deposit Mayor, Ralph Norman. Ray then purportedly informed Police Chief Head of the alleged crime. Ray claims that Defendant Head then advised Plaintiff to obtain a witness who would be willing to testify that Ray was not involved in the anticipated arson, but, rather, was Head’s informant. Plaintiffs aver that Ray then contacted his nephew, Demetris Dunklin (“Demetris”), to serve as his witness and accompany him on the evening of the anticipated arson.

Plaintiffs aver that when Stephon and Raymond Davidson arrived at the former may- or’s home to commit the planned arson, Head and an auxiliary police officer, Rufus Mitchell (“Mitchell”) were already in position and watching Norman’s premises. At this time, the Plaintiffs were approximately 100 yards from the former mayor’s home. Plaintiffs allege that as Stephon and Raymond Davidson were actually striking a match to set fire to the home, Mitchell fired two so-called warning shots with a riot shotgun, with a shot from the weapon allegedly piercing the skull of Raymond Davidson and thereby causing his death.

Early the next morning, Defendant Sheriff John Hulett (Sheriff “Hulett”) contacted Ray and requested that he and Demetris come in for questioning.5 When the Plaintiffs arrived they were purportedly subjected to a false arrest and illegal detention, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Plaintiffs contend that they were falsely imprisoned for a period of twelve hours in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiffs also contend that after the purported false arrest and illegal detention, the Defendants falsely and maliciously charged the Plaintiffs with second degree arson. Following a trial, the jury found Plaintiffs not guilty of the crimes of which they were charged.

In carrying out the foregoing acts, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants Head, Hulett, and Ft. Deposit deprived them of equal protection of the law as guaranteed by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, including the right not to be subjected to false arrest, false imprisonment, illegal detention, and malicious prosecution. Furthermore, Plaintiffs claim that Defendant Ft. Deposit is liable to them for their purported damages because of the neglect, carelessness, or unskillfulness of then Police Chief Head and other unnamed officers of the Ft. Deposit police force. Plaintiffs also claim that Ft. Deposit is liable for injuries under respondeat superior pursuant to § 11 — 47-190 of the Alabama Code.

Sheriff Hulett and Lowndes County filed individual motions to dismiss on November 8, 1994.6 Sheriff Hulett contends that he is entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiffs claim against him in his individual capacity since he is entitled to qualified immunity [1531]*1531because the acts complained of were the product of his good faith performance of discretionary tasks. Hulett also asserts that he is entitled to absolute immunity in his official capacity because, as a state official, he enjoys absolute immunity from suit for retroactive pecuniary damages. He later filed a motion for summary judgment setting forth the same arguments made in his motion to dismiss.

On December 7, 1994, Defendants Ft. Deposit and Wade Head filed a joint motion to dismiss claiming that Plaintiff failed to articulate a claim upon which the court may grant relief. Ft. Deposit also averred that the applicable statute of limitations had run and that the state law claim against Ft. Deposit was also time barred. Ft. Deposit and Head later filed their motion for summary judgment asserting the same defenses and grounds as set forth in their motion to dismiss.

Summary Judgment Standard

On a motion for summary judgment, the court is to construe the evidence and factual inferences arising therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). Summary judgment can be entered on a claim only if it is shown “that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). As the Supreme Court has explained the summary judgment standard:

[T]he plain language of Rule 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. In such a situation, there can be no genuine issue as to any material fact, since a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the non-moving party’s case necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.

Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The trial court’s function at this juncture is not “to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249-50, 106 S.Ct.

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Related

Dunklin v. Lowndes County
103 F.3d 148 (Eleventh Circuit, 1996)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
894 F. Supp. 1527, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10921, 1995 WL 457826, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dunklin-v-lowndes-county-almd-1995.