Dupree v. Pough

454 F. Supp. 2d 166, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71420, 2006 WL 2821495
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 29, 2006
Docket34 Civ. 00992(RJH)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 454 F. Supp. 2d 166 (Dupree v. Pough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dupree v. Pough, 454 F. Supp. 2d 166, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71420, 2006 WL 2821495 (S.D.N.Y. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

HOLWELL, District Judge.

Plaintiff brought this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City of New York, the New York City Department of Corrections, and New York State Parole Officer Flinora Pough, alleging false imprisonment and due process violations. Defendants City of New York and the New York City Department of Corrections previously moved for summary judgment. After the Court granted the City’s motion, Pough filed the present motion for summary judgment. In plaintiffs opposition to this motion, he has requested leave to amend his complaint to add the New York State Division of Parole as a defendant.

For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Pough’s motion for summary judgment [37] and denies plaintiff leave to amend his complaint.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated, the following facts are undisputed and taken in the light most favorable to plaintiff.

Plaintiff was sentenced for burglary in state court, Queens County, New York, in August 1995 and attempted burglary in state court, Richmond County, New York, in February 1996. (ComplJ 7.) He was released on parole on February 14, 2002, subject to supervision by the New York State Division of Parole, and his maximum parole expiration date was March 18, 2003. (Id. at ¶¶ 8-9.) As a special condition of his release, plaintiff was directed to attend a community drug treatment program, but he was discharged in December of 2003 for lack of attendance and drug use. (Def. 56.1 Statement ¶¶ 6-7.) Dupree also failed to attend a meeting with his parole officer on December 17, 2002. (ComplY 10.) Parole Officer Reid prepared a violation release report, charging plaintiff with five parole violations. (Def.Ex.B.) On January 30, 2003, Senior Parole Officer Pough reviewed the report and issued Parole Warrant # 371358. (PL 56.1 Statement ¶¶ 4-6; Def. Ex. M.)

Because plaintiff absconded, his case was transferred to the absconder search unit. (Def. Mot. for Summ. J. 2.) On February 6, 2003, a Parole Board commissioner declared plaintiff delinquent as of December 17, 2002, the date of his first *169 alleged parole violations. (Def. 56.1 Statement ¶ 14; Def. Ex. E.) On March 4, 2003, plaintiff was finally arrested and remanded to the custody of the City DOC on Rikers Island. (Def. 56.1 Statement ¶ 11.)

State parole violators who are to be held beyond their original maximum expiration dates are provided with both a preliminary and final parole revocation hearing before the state parole board. Plaintiff waived his preliminary parole revocation hearing on the same day of his arrest. (Def. 56.1 Statement ¶ 12; Def. Ex. C, G.) The City DOC produced the plaintiff for his final parole revocation hearing on March 14 and March 21, 2003 (PI. 56.1 Statement ¶ 8), but for reasons that are unclear from the record before the Court, these hearings were adjourned to April 24, 2003. On April 24, plaintiffs attorney requested an adjournment to May 29, 2003 because the New York State Division of Parole was applying for a cancellation of delinquency. (Def. Ex. I; PI. Opp’n to Mot. for Summ. J. (“Pl.Opp’n”) 4.) The final parole revocation hearing was then scheduled for May 29, 2003. (PI. 56.1 Statement ¶ 8.) On May 12, 2003, prior to the scheduled hearing, the Division of Parole cancelled the delinquency and lifted the warrant, and DOC released the plaintiff from custody on that date. (Defs.’ 56.1 Statement ¶¶ 11-13, 20-22.)

DISCUSSION

1. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment is appropriate when “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). Of course, a “mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment; the requirement is that there be no genuine issue of material fact.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-48, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); see also Quarles v. Gen. Motors Corp. (Motors Holding Div.), 758 F.2d 839, 840 (2d Cir.1985) (“[T]he mere existence of factual issues—where those issues are not material to the claims before the court—will not suffice to defeat a motion for summary judgment.”). In short, “[o]nly disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505.

On a motion for summary judgment, the Court is required to view the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and to make all reasonable inferences in this party’s favor. See, e.g., Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). The initial burden rests with the moving party to make a prima facie showing that no material fact issues exist for trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 331, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Once this showing is made, the burden falls on the nonmoving party to demonstrate that a material fact issue does exist, thus mandating a trial. Id. While the nonmoving party may defeat a motion for summary judgment by establishing that there is a legitimate fact issue for trial, it “must do more than show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348 (citing De Luca v. Atl. Ref. Co., 176 F.2d 421, 423 (2d Cir.1949)).

2. Plaintiff’s Claims

In his complaint, plaintiff alleges that Pough issued the arrest warrant for Du-pree’s failure to appear at a December 17, *170 2002 meeting with his parole officer. Plaintiff then states two causes of action against Pough: a claim of false imprisonment, and a claim that Pough “violated Dupree’s due process rights ... by knowingly and recklessly failing to provide Du-pree with an opportunity to contest the parole violation charges against him prior to his maximum revocation date,” thus “knowingly and/or recklessly allowing] Dupree to be imprisoned unlawfully from March 18, 2003 until May 12, 2003.” The Court addresses each of these claims in turn.

a. False Imprisonment

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
454 F. Supp. 2d 166, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71420, 2006 WL 2821495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dupree-v-pough-nysd-2006.