Eaton v. Hancock County

741 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 102967, 2010 WL 3852832
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedSeptember 28, 2010
DocketCV-08-370-B-W
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 741 F. Supp. 2d 307 (Eaton v. Hancock County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eaton v. Hancock County, 741 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 102967, 2010 WL 3852832 (D. Me. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER AFFIRMING THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S RECOMMENDED DECISION

JOHN A. WOODCOCK, JR., Chief Judge.

Getting drunk and acting out is not, by itself, a crime. Ronald Eaton claims he was arrested, incarcerated, and beaten for just that, and accordingly, he seeks damages against Hancock County and the County employees he claims were responsible. In a careful and well-researched decision, the Magistrate Judge recommended that the Court deny most of the Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. After both the County Defendants and Mr. Eaton objected, the Court performed a de novo review and concludes that the Magistrate Judge was correct.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. Procedural History

On October 29, 2008, Ronald Eaton filed a complaint against Hancock County and other governmental and individual defendants claiming damages for personal injuries he allegedly sustained during an arrest and detention. Compl. at ¶¶ 34-64 (Docket # 1). The Complaint contains eight counts undifferentiated among the Defendants: 1) Count One — a Fourth Amendment violation; 2) Count Two — As *312 sault, False Arrest, and False Imprisonment; 3) Count Three — Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress; 4) Count Four — Conspiracy Under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3); 5) Count Five — Conspiracy Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; 6) Count Six — Punitive Damages; 7) Count Seven — Due Process — Fourteenth Amendment; 8) Count Eight — Negligence—Maine Tort Claims Act — Assault. 1 Id.

On November 30, 2009, the Defendants moved for summary judgment on all counts. 2 Cnty. Defs.’ Mot. for Summary J. at 30 (Docket #82) (Defs.’ Mot.). Mr. Eaton filed his opposition on December 23, 2009. PI. ’s Reply to Cnty. Defs. ’ Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket #108) (Pl.’s Opp’n). The Court referred the motion to the Magistrate Judge for recommended decision. On April 16, 2010, 2010 WL 1568430, the Magistrate Judge filed her Recommended Decision and recommended: (1) that the Court grant summary judgment to all defendants on Counts III and IV; (2) that the Court grant summary judgment on Count I for Defendants Gunn, Haines, and Weaver; and, (3) that the Court dismiss all claims against Deputy Morang, Correetions Officer Hobbs, Corrections Officer Sullivan, Hancock County, the Hancock County Sheriffs Department, Sheriff Clark, and Jail Administrator Dannenberg. Recommended Dec. at 38 (Docket # 138) (Rec. Dec.).

On May 14, 2010, Mr. Eaton and Deputy Jason Lepper each objected to the Recommended Decision. PL’s Obj. to the Magistrate’s Recommended Dec. and Req. for De Novo Review (Docket #141) PL’s Obj.; Def. Jason Lepper’s Partial Obj. to Recommended Dec. on Mot. for Summ. J. (Docket # 142) (Def’s Obj.). Mr. Eaton objected to the recommended dismissal of Hancock County, the Hancock County Sheriffs Department, William Clark, and Carl Dannenberg under the theory of governmental immunity and of Crystal Hobbs and Heather Sullivan on the conspiracy claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 3 PL’s Obj. at 1-10. Deputy Lepper objected to the Magistrate Judge’s denial of summary judgment on the unreasonable arrest and excessive force claims and on qualified immunity to the unreasonable arrest and excessive force claims. 4 On June 1, 2010, Hancock County, Hancock County Sher *313 iffs Department, William Clark, Heather Sullivan, Crystal Hobbs, and Carl Dannenberg responded to Mr. Eaton’s objection. Defs. Hancock Cnty., Hancock Cnty. Sheriffs Dep’t, William Clark, Heather Sullivan, Crystal Hobbs and Carl Dannenberg’s Resp. to Pl.’s Obj. to the Magistrate’s Recommended Dec. and Req. for De Novo Review (Docket # 143) (Def’s Resp.).

B. The Facts 5

1. Ronald Eaton, the China Hill Restaurant, the Volcano Bowl, and Cindy Furrow’s Disappearance

At 5 p.m. on November 5, 2006, Ronald Eaton arrived with his girlfriend, Cindy Furrow, at the China Hill Restaurant (“China Hill”) in Ellsworth, Maine. Defs.’ Hancock Cnty., Hancock Cnty. Sheriffs Dep’t, William Clark, Jason Lepper, Ryan Haines, Heather Sullivan, Joshua Gunn, Costal Hobbs, Carl Dannenberg, Robert Morang, and John Weaver’s Statement of Material Facts in Support of Mot. for Summ. J. ¶ 51, 52 (Docket # 83) (DSMF); Pi’s Reply to Defs.’ Statement of Material Facts, Req. to Strike, and PI. ’s Additional Statement of Material Facts ¶¶ 51, 52 (Docket # 109) (either PRDSMF or PASMF). After Mr. Eaton and Ms. Furrow were seated in the lounge, they ordered a meal and a “volcano bowl,” a mixed alcoholic beverage consisting of two kinds of rum, Apple Jack brandy, passion syrup, pineapple juice and orange juice and approximately equal to three drinks. DSMF ¶ 54; PRDSMF ¶ 54. Ms. Furrow tried the volcano bowl but did not like it, and did not drink any more of it. DSMF ¶ 58; PRDSMF ¶ 58. Mr. Eaton, who had consumed two beers at home between noon and 2 or 3 p.m., continued to drink the volcano bowl. DSMF ¶ 55, 59; PRSMF ¶ 55, 59.

During dinner, Mr. Eaton and Ms. Furrow got into an argument, which lasted for about twenty to thirty minutes. DSMF ¶¶ 60, 62; PRDSMF ¶¶ 60, 62. During the argument, Ms. Furrow called Mr. Eaton a “jerk,” an “idiot,” and a “fucking asshole” in a voice loud enough so that others could hear. 6 DSMF ¶ 61; PRDSMF ¶ 61. Ms. Furrow apparently decided she had had enough and left the restaurant under the pretext that she was going to the bathroom. DSMF ¶¶ 60, 62, 63; PRDSMF ¶¶ 60, 62, 63. Ms. Furrow walked to a nearby bar and left there by cab. DSMF ¶ 63; PRDSMF ¶ 63. After Ms. Furrow disappeared, Mr. Eaton became loud and when she did not return, he panicked. DSMF ¶¶ 64, 65; PRDSMF ¶¶ 64, 65. He searched the restaurant, hollered in the bathroom, and began going up to patrons, patting them on the shoulder, and asking *314 them whether they had seen his girlfriend. DSMF ¶¶ 66, 67; PRDSMF ¶¶ 66, 67.

2. Deputy Lepper Intervenes

As Mr. Eaton searched the restaurant for Ms. Furrow, Jason Lepper, a deputy with the Hancock County Sheriffs Department, was off-duty with his family at China Hill. DSMF ¶ 68, PRDSMF ¶68. Mr. Eaton went in and out of the restaurant a few times. DSMF ¶ 74; PRDSMF ¶ 74. While Deputy Lepper was in the lobby, he saw Mr. Eaton bump into the restaurant doors as he tried to re-enter, stumble back, pull the doors open, and walk inside. DSMF ¶ 76; PRDSMF ¶76. As Mr. Eaton entered, Deputy Lepper observed Mr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Gammon v. CRISIS AND COUNSELING CENTERS, INC.
762 F. Supp. 2d 165 (D. Maine, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
741 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 102967, 2010 WL 3852832, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eaton-v-hancock-county-med-2010.