Gerritsen v. Escobar Y Cordova

721 F. Supp. 253, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17138, 1988 WL 167232
District Court, C.D. California·Decided September 21, 1988·No. CV85-5020-PAR·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

RYMER, District Judge.

Plaintiff charges moving defendants Consulate General of the United Mexican States, Javier Escobar Y Cordova, Agustín Garcia Lopez Santaolalla, Enrique Guzman, and Salvador Uribe with engaging in a conspiracy to deprive him of his civil rights, acts of assault with a deadly weapon, battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, intentional infliction of physical trauma, intentional infliction of emotional trauma, theft, destruction of property, and false arrest. Plaintiffs Preliminary Statement of PreTrial Contentions of Fact at 3. The dispute primarily arises out of plaintiffs distribution of leaflets and other activities around the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles and defendants’ efforts to stop these activities. Jurisdiction is alleged pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1351 (actions against consuls and vice consuls) and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1330(a), 1602-1611 (Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act). 1 Defendants assert that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction under either statute and therefore move for summary judgment.

Plaintiff filed his original complaint on July 30, 1985. It contained allegations against the moving defendants and President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado of the United Mexican States; the alleged jurisdictional basis for the complaint was 28 U.S.C. § 1343. This court found that it lacked personal jurisdiction over President of Mexico and that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction under § 1343, accordingly, President de la Madrid was dismissed with prejudice and plaintiffs complaint was dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Order at 11. In Gerritsen v. Hurtado, 819 F.2d 1511 (9th Cir.1987) the Ninth Circuit upheld the court’s ruling on § 1343, but — believing that plaintiff was denied leave to amend — suggested 28 U.S.C. §§ 1330(a) and 1351 as other possible sources of jurisdiction and remanded the case.

Facts Not Genuinely Controverted

1. Plaintiff originally filed his complaint in this action on July 30, 1985.

2. Plaintiff filed his First Amended Complaint on October 16, 1987 and his Second Amended Complaint on December 23, 1987.

3. Plaintiff served the original complaint by having a clerk of this court mail the complaint to the Offices of the President of the United Mexican States. Gerrit-sen Deck, Exhibit C. This service was received in that office on August 20, 1985. Felix Deel. II7.

4. Plaintiff served the individual defendants as follows:

a) Javier Escobar — process server personally served him summons and complaint at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, California, on August 12, 1985. Gerritsen Deck, Exhibit H.

b) Agustín Garcia — process server left summons and complaint with Enrique Silva at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, California, on August 7, 1985. Id., Exhibit I.

c) Enrique Silva — process server personally served him summons and complaint at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, California, on August 5, 1985. Id., Exhibit J.

*255 d)Salvador Uribe — process server left summons and complaint with Enrique Silva at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, California, on August 7, 1985. Id,., Exhibit K.

5. Relevant allegations in plaintiffs Pre-Trial Memorandum ¶ 2 against defendant Escobar are that:

a) on August 5, 1988 defendant approached plaintiff and told him that “action would be taken against him.” Los Angeles police officers thereafter detained plaintiff for forty minutes while the officers spoke with defendant and others. SAC If 31.

b) on September 20, 1983 defendant placed plaintiff under citizen’s arrest and restrained plaintiff until the Los Angeles police arrived to take plaintiff into custody. SAC 1136.

c) on March 15, 1984 defendant leased ten thousand square feet of open space around the Consulate. SAC ¶ 48.

d) on July 31, 1984 defendant grabbed plaintiff’s shoulder to restrain him from distributing leaflets.

e) on December 2, 1983 defendant requested that Alexander H. Williams III of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of California “take whatever measures were necessary to prevent Mr. Gerritsen from continuing to disturb the peace as well as the impairment of its [the consulate’s] dignity.” SAC 1141.

6. Relevant allegations in plaintiff’s Pre-Trial Memorandum 113 against defendant Garcia are that:

a) on March 15, 1984 defendant leased ten thousand square feet of open space around the Consulate. SAC 1148.

b) on June 20,1985 defendant threatened “to take more serious measures against plaintiff.” Later on that day an employee of the consulate pointed a gun at plaintiff, who was standing twelve feet away. SAC 1149.

7. Plaintiff makes no relevant allegations against defendant Silva in his PreTrial Memorandum. (Plaintiff states in his response to defendants’ Interrogatory 13 that defendant Silva on June 28, 1983 “interrogated and intimidated” plaintiff.)

8. Relevant allegations in plaintiff’s Pre-Trial Memorandum ¶ 5 against defendant Uribe are that:

a) on June 28, 1983 defendant struck plaintiff with his fists and feet. SAC U 26.

b) on August 5, 1983 defendant pushed plaintiff down a flight of stairs. SAC 1131.

c) on October 6, 1983 defendant punched and pushed plaintiff. SAC 1137.

d) on October 25, 1983 defendant Uribe “attacks plaintiff,” breaks his glasses, and tears his shirt. SAC H 39.

e) on June 18, 1984 defendant Uribe pushed and punched plaintiff away from the consulate. SAC 1144.

f) on June 20, 1985 defendant pointed a gun in a threatening manner at plaintiff. SAC II49.

g) on July 17, 1985 defendant struck plaintiff with a heavy metal cylinder. SAC 1150.

h) on July 19, 1985 defendant struck plaintiff in the face. SAC H 51.

i) on July 25, 1985 defendant struck plaintiff with a heavy metal sign. SAC 1152.

j) on July 26, 1985 defendant struck plaintiff with his left foot. SAC 11 53.

k) on December 19, 1985 defendant struck plaintiff with two lengths of chain. SAC 11 58.

9. The individual defendants are either consuls or an employee of the consulate.

10. The Mexican government believes that the individual defendants were acting in an official capacity during their encounters with plaintiff. Rivas Decl. 117.

Possibly Controverted Facts that are not Material

1.

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Gerritsen v. Escobar Y Cordova, 721 F. Supp. 253, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17138, 1988 WL 167232 (C.D. Cal. 1988).

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