Dunn v. City of Boynton Beach

192 F. Supp. 3d 1310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77088, 2016 WL 3256935
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJune 14, 2016
DocketNO. 15-81499-CIV-MARRA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 192 F. Supp. 3d 1310 (Dunn v. City of Boynton Beach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dunn v. City of Boynton Beach, 192 F. Supp. 3d 1310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77088, 2016 WL 3256935 (S.D. Fla. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

KENNETH A. MARRA, United States District Judge

This matter is before the Court on Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss (DE 14; DE 15). For the following reasons, Defendant Christopher Munro’s motion is denied and Defendant City of Boynton Beach’s motion is granted in part.

I. Background

Plaintiff Jonathan Vanquise Dunn borrowed tools from his friend Benjamin Schwartz to make general household repairs before vacating his apartment. (DE 1 ¶ 12.) On the afternoon that Dunn sought to return the tools, Schwartz was at a friend’s home. (DE 1 ¶ 13.) Dunn started walking toward the residential neighborhood where the friend’s home was located, but he did not have the exact address because Schwartz’s cell phone battery died before he could tell the address to Dunn. (DE 1 ¶ 14.) Dunn knew the home was one of the first homes in the neighborhood. (DE 1 ¶ 15.) ■

Dunn arrived at a home that he believed was the one where Schwartz was, knocked on the door, and waited a few moments for someone to answer. (DE 1 ¶ 16.) No one answered and Dunn was unable to find Schwartz or otherwise contact him. (DE 1 ¶ 17.) Dunn started to walk away from the neighborhood while carrying the tool bag he intended'to return to Schwartz. (DE 1 ¶ 17.)'

After, walking about a quarter mile, several officers from the Boynton Beach Police Department, including Defendant Officer Christopher Munro, approached Dunn in their patrol vehicles and detained him for questioning. (DE 1 ¶ 18.) Dunn explained his presence and conduct in the area to Officer Munro. (DE 1 ¶ 19.) Officer Munro believed that Dunn was in the area to commit a burglary and arrested Dunn for possession of burglary tools and for loitering or prowling. (DE 1 ¶ 20.) Though the complaint is silent on the issue and the fact does not affect the outcome of the motions, the Court notes that the parties’ briefs make clear that Dunn ultimately was not prosecuted for either offense.

Dunn sued Officer Munro in his individual capacity pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violating his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by arresting him without probable cause. Dunn also sued the City of Boynton Beach (“the City”) for false arrest1 under state law based on a [1316]*1316theory- of vicarious liability. Additionally, Dunn brought a claim for a declaratory judgment against both Defendants that sections 810.06 (possession of burglary tools) and 856.021 (loitering or prowling) of the Florida statutes were unconstitutional ly applied to him. Officer Munro moved to dismiss the § 1988 claim and the City moved to dismiss the remaining claims.

II. Legal Standard

Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires “a short and plain statement of the claim” that will give the defendant fair notice of what the plaintiffs claim is and the ground on which it rests. The Supreme Court has held that “[wjhile a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a plaintiffs obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitlement to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 545, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (internal citation and alteration omitted).

“To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true,’ to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (internal quotation marks omitted). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. Thus, “only a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief survives a motion to dismiss.” Id. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937. The Court must accept all of the plaintiffs factual allegations as true in determining whether a plaintiff has stated a claim for which relief could be granted. Hishon v. King & Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104 S.Ct. 2229, 81 L.Ed.2d 59 (1984).

III. Discussion

A. Section 1983 Claim Against Officer Munro

Officer Munro asserts that the § 1983 claim against him should be dismissed because he is cloaked with qualified immunity. A public official performing a discretionary function enjoys qualified immunity in a civil action for damages if his or her conduct “does not violate clearly established federal statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). “The purpose of this immunity is to allow government officials to carry out their discretionary duties without the fear of personal liability or harassing litigation.” Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d 1188, 1194 (11th Cir.2002). Qualified immunity may be raised in a motion to dismiss. Skrtich v. Thornton, 280 F.3d 1295, 1306 (11th Cir.2002).2

For qualified immunity to apply, the public official must first show that he or she “was acting within the scope of his or her discretionary authority.” Moore v. Pederson, 806 F.3d 1036, 1042 (11th Cir. 2015) (en banc). The term “discretionary authority” “include[s] all actions of a gov[1317]*1317ernmental official that (1) were undertaken pursuant to the performance of his duties, and (2) were within the scope of his authority.” Id. (alteration in original) (quoting Jordan v. Doe, 38 F.3d 1559, 1566 (11th Cir.1994)). Here, Dunn concedes that Officer Munro was acting within the scope of his discretionary authority when he arrested Dunn. (DE 16 at 6.)

Once it is established that the governmental official was acting within the scope of his discretionary authority, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to demonstrate that qualified immunity is inappropriate. Moore, 806 F.3d at 1042. To satisfy this burden, the plaintiff must show that (1) the facts demonstrate that the governmental official violated his constitutional right and (2) the right was clearly established at the time of the government official’s alleged misconduct. Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223, 232, 129 S.Ct. 808, 172 L.Ed.2d 565 (2009). The Court may address these inquiries in whichever order it chooses, though it is often advantageous to first determine whether a violation- of the right occurred. Id. at 242, 129 S.Ct. 808.

1. Whether Officer Munro Had Probable Cause to Arrest Dunn

Turning to the first inquiry, the Court must determine whether, taking the factual allegations in the complaint as true, Officer Munro violated Dunn’s constitutional right.

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192 F. Supp. 3d 1310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77088, 2016 WL 3256935, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dunn-v-city-of-boynton-beach-flsd-2016.