Frobel v. County of Broome

419 F. Supp. 2d 212, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41765, 2005 WL 2437028
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 30, 2005
Docket3:03 CV 528
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 419 F. Supp. 2d 212 (Frobel v. County of Broome) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frobel v. County of Broome, 419 F. Supp. 2d 212, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41765, 2005 WL 2437028 (N.D.N.Y. 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER

MORDUE, District Judge.

I.INTRODUCTION

This action stems from defendant Deputy Sheriff Ronald Bill’s attempt to collect upon a judgment entered against plaintiff Cynthia Frobel. Presently before the Court is a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure by defendants County of Broome, Broome County Sheriff David Harder, and Deputy Sheriff Ronald Bill. The amended complaint, filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleges that defendants violated plaintiffs right to be free from illegal search and seizure and excessive force and her right to due process, in violation of the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. The amended complaint further alleges that the County of Broome and the Broome County Sheriffs Department failed to properly train, and to take corrective action against, its officers. The amended complaint also contains a pendent state claim for negligence and gross negligence.

II. THE EVIDENCE ON THE MOTION

In support of their motion, defendants have submitted plaintiffs testimony from her N.Y. Gen Munic. Law § 50-h hearing and deposition, and a number of affidavits, including one from Deputy Sheriff Ronald Bill, whom plaintiff claims used excessive force against her. Deputy Bill states:

2. Pursuant to Article 52 of the CPLR, I am authorized to execute upon valid judgments.
3. On March 22, 2002 I arrived at the apartment of Ms. Frobel, address, in an attempt to execute upon a valid judgment against her.
4. I knocked on the door and advised Ms. Frobel of who I was, and requested that she allow me into her residence. After some discussion and Ms. Frobel contacting the Broome County Office of the Sheriff to verify my identity, Ms. Frobel opened the door and allowed me into her residence.
5. Thereafter, I handed Ms. Frobel a copy of the judgment and advised her that I was present to collect upon it.
*216 6. After she advised me that she did not have the money to satisfy the judgment, I informed her that it was within my power to execute upon whatever personal property she might have in her home, including her television and home computer.
7. At this Ms. Frobel became quite distraught, and vehemently advised me that I would not be taking anything from her home.
8. As time progressed, Ms. Frobel became increasingly hostile towards and began screaming for me to get out of her apartment culminating in her placing her hands on my arm and beginning to push me out of the apartment.
9. At this point, I grabbed Ms. Fro-bel’s left hand off of me and pushed her back against her refrigerator, which was between 5 to 10 feet from where we had been standing, in attempt to restrain and at the same time calm Ms. Frobel.
10. She finally calmed down only after I advised her that I would be forced to place her under arrest if she continued to behave in that manner.
11. Force was used only as a last resort in this matter, and was applied only after a hysterical Ms. Frobel began to push me out of her apartment. At the time I initiated the use of force, I did perceive this woman to be a possible threat to my personal safety: she was hysterical and yelling at me and was growing progressively more hostile; we were in her kitchen, and presumably in close proximity to kitchen knives or other utensils; and ultimately attempted to push me out of her apartment.
12. Additionally, the amount of force used was proportionate to the perceived threat, and in response to the situation. Ms. Frobel was resisting my force, and admitted to being around 220 pounds on the day of the incident. A certain amount of force was necessary to protect myself from the perceived threat, restrain Ms. Frobel, and calm her down. The amount of force I incorporated was reasonable under the circumstances.
13. She finally presented me with a check made out to her in the amount of roughly $400.00. I advised her that we would go to the bank where she could cash that check and that I would take a portion of the money to pay off a portion of the judgment and that we would then set up a payment plan.
14. At no point in time after the physical encounter, did Ms. Frobel advise me that she had been injured in any way or was feeling pain in any part of her body. She also did not request medical treatment at any point in time.
15. Prior to our discussions regarding payment of the judgment, Ms. Frobel contacted 9-1-1 and requested that the police be dispatched to her apartment. However, when a Village of Endicott patrol car arrived on the scene, followed soon thereafter by a Broome County Sheriffs vehicle, Ms. Frobel made no attempt to speak with any of the officers on the scene.
16. Ms. Frobel did agree to go to her bank to cash the check, and ultimately, gave me $300.00 in cash. Arrangements were thereby made where Ms. Frobel agreed to pay $50.00 a month until the judgment was satisfied.
17. I have completed the Article 35 “Use of Force” training, and am fully familiar with all protocols concerning the “use of force”.

Aff. Ronald Bill.

In opposition to the motion and in an effort to show a material issue of fact *217 requiring trial on her excessive force claim, Ms. Frobel submitted an affidavit, in which she states, in relevant part:

3. When Ronald Bill first came to my home I was in my night clothes and was doing dishes when I heard a knock on the door.
4. I looked through my peephole and saw a man in plain clothes who said he was a deputy sheriff but would not tell me the purpose for which he was at my door. I therefore called the Sheriffs Department to verify that he was in fact a law enforcement officer and upon doing so let him into my home.
5. After he came in he was rude and abusive from the outset, telling me he was there to collect on a judgment. Contrary to the statement in paragraph 6 of his affidavit that it was within his power to take whatever property I have in my home, he simply said he was going to take my personal property, including my television set, home computer and couch. He said he could not fit them in his .car, so they would sell my things at auction without regard for how much money they brought and I would most likely still owe money.
6. I naturally became upset and asked him to leave my home, and when he refused to do so but continued his rude and abusive behavior and his threats to take my personal property, I called 911 to have the police remove him from my home.
7.

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Bluebook (online)
419 F. Supp. 2d 212, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41765, 2005 WL 2437028, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frobel-v-county-of-broome-nynd-2005.