Geissler v. City of Atlantic City

198 F. Supp. 3d 389, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98581, 2016 WL 4071949
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJuly 28, 2016
DocketCivil No. 16-792 (JBS/AMD)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 198 F. Supp. 3d 389 (Geissler v. City of Atlantic City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Geissler v. City of Atlantic City, 198 F. Supp. 3d 389, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98581, 2016 WL 4071949 (D.N.J. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

SIMANDLE, Chief Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Lisa Geissler alleges in this action that while she was a registered guest of the Borgata Hotel and Casino & Spa in Atlantic City in October of 2014, she was “wrongfully and falsely” accused by Borga-ta employees of stealing bottles of wine and subsequently “wrongfully and falsely arrested and charged” with defiant trespass by a police officer with the Atlantic City Police Department. Plaintiff directs this suit against the City of Atlantic City, the Atlantic City Police Department (“ACPD”), Atlantic City Police Officer Darrell Catanio (“Officer Catanio”) and the Marina District Finance Company, LLC d/b/a Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa (“Bor-gata”), and alleges constitutional violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the New Jersey State Constitution, and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, in addition to several state tort claims.

Presently before the Court is a motion to dismiss by the City of Atlantic City, the ACPD and Officer Catanio (collectively, the “City Defendants”), under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant the City Defendants’ motion.

II. BACKGROUND

The Court recites the allegations as they are laid out in Plaintiffs Complaint. [Docket Item l.]1 For purposes of this motion, [393]*393the Court must accept Plaintiffs’ allegations as true.

On October 17, 2014,2 Plaintiff Lisa Geis-sler was a registered guest of the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa. (Compl. ¶ 9.) That evening, Plaintiff was in the Borgata’s Lounge when, according to Plaintiff, Bor-gata employees wrongfully and falsely accused Plaintiff of stealing bottles of wine and demanded that she leave the Borgata’s premises. (Id. ¶ 10.)

While forcibly escorting Plaintiff to her room in the Borgata to gather her belongings, Borgata employees reported to Defendant ACPD that Plaintiff was trespassing on the Borgata’s premises. (Id. ¶¶ 11-12.) Defendant Officer Darrell Catanio of the ACDP responded to the Borgata employees’ report and proceeded to the Bor-gata. (Id. ¶ 13.) Upon his arrival, Plaintiff alleges that Officer Catanio wrongfully and falsely arrested and charged Plaintiff with defiant trespass under Complaint S 2014 5018. (Id. ¶ 14; Def. Br. Ex. B [Docket Item 5-5].) According to the Complaint, the charge was subsequently dismissed on April 7, 2015 because it “lacked any legal bases.” (Id. ¶ 15.) Plaintiff filed a Tort Claims Notice with the City of Atlantic City on June 2, 2015. (Def. Br. Ex. B [Docket Item 5-5].) On February 12, 2016, Plaintiff filed a seven-count Complaint, naming as defendants the City of Atlantic City, the ACPD, and Officer Catanio (together, the “City Defendants”), as well as the Borgata. [Docket Item 1.]

Against the City Defendants only, the Complaint asserts constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Count One) and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (Count Two). (Compl. ¶¶ 16-22.) Against the Borgata, the Complaint asserts a state law claim of defamation (Count Four). The Complaint additionally asserts state law claims against all Defendants for malicious prosecution (Count Three), negligence (Count Five), intentional infliction of emotional distress (Count Six) and negligent infliction of emotional distress (Count Seven). (Id. ¶¶ 23-27, 31-38.)

The City Defendants have now filed a motion under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) seeking to dismiss all claims against them. [Docket Item 5.] They argue that the constitutional claims asserted in Counts One and Two must be dismissed because Plaintiff failed to plead sufficient facts that would give rise to municipal liability. (Def. Br. 4-6.) They also argue that the ACPD is not a proper defendant in a § 1983 action. (Id. at 4.) Finally, the City Defendants contend that the state law claims against them in Counts Three, Five, Six, and Seven should be dismissed because (1) Plaintiff filed an untimely Notice of Tort Claim; and (2) Plaintiffs Complaint lacks sufficient facts to properly state a claim for relief.3 (Id. at 5-10.)

In her opposition [Docket Item 8], Plaintiff maintains that the City Defendants’ motion should be denied because she pled sufficient facts against Officer Catanio to state a claim for relief. (PI. Br. 2-3.) Additionally, Plaintiff asserts that the Tort Claims Notice she filed was timely and [394]*394that none of her tort claims should therefore be dismissed. (Id. at 3-4.)

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

When considering a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), a court must accept as true all well-pleaded allegations in the complaint and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 93-94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007) (per cu-riam).

A motion to dismiss may only be granted if a court concludes that the plaintiff has failed to set forth fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests that make such a claim plausible on its face. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009); Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007).

Although the Court must accept as true all well-pleaded factual allegations, it may disregard any legal conclusions in the complaint. Fowler v. UPMC Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 210-11 (3d Cir.2009). A plaintiff should plead sufficient facts to “raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence of the necessary element,” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955, and “[a] pleading that offers labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

The Court exercises subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs federal claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331, and exercises supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiffs state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367.

IV. DISCUSSION

A. Plaintiff’s Constitutional Claims Against the City of Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Police Department (Counts One & Two)

In Counts One and Two, Plaintiff asserts federal and state constitutional claims against the City Defendants under 42 U.S.C. § 1983

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198 F. Supp. 3d 389, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98581, 2016 WL 4071949, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/geissler-v-city-of-atlantic-city-njd-2016.