Glass v. Robinson

CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedJanuary 27, 2022
Docket2:19-cv-04883
StatusUnknown

This text of Glass v. Robinson (Glass v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Glass v. Robinson, (D. Ariz. 2022).

Opinion

1 WO 2 3 4 5 6 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 7 FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

9 Samantha Glass, No. CV-19-04883-PHX-ROS

10 Plaintiff, ORDER

11 v.

12 Christopher Robinson, et al.,

13 Defendants. 14 15 Plaintiff Samantha Glass brought this suit against Gilbert police officer Defendant 16 Christopher Robinson under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging Robinson used excessive force 17 during an encounter with Glass in March 2018.1 (Doc. 13). Robinson arrived at the 18 apartment complex where Glass’s ex-boyfriend and her daughter resided to investigate a 19 possible vehicle burglary. (Doc. 60 at 1). Robinson found Glass sitting on a second-floor 20 landing waiting for her ex-boyfriend to return. (Doc. 60 at 2). Glass was intoxicated. 21 (Doc. 60 at 3). During the encounter, Robinson decided he had grounds to detain Glass. 22 (Doc. 60 at 3). Glass resisted when Robinson attempted to handcuff her. (Doc. 60 at 4). 23 At one point during the encounter, Robinson used a “leg sweep” while holding Glass’s 24 arm, which caused Glass to fall to the ground face-first. (Doc. 60 at 5). Glass suffered a 25 wound to her face as a result. (Doc. 60-2). Glass contends Robinson did not have probable 26 cause to effect the arrest and used unreasonable force in arresting her, which she claims 27 violated her rights under the Fourth Amendment. (Doc. 64 at 7). 28 1 All facts set forth in this Order are undisputed unless otherwise noted. 1 Before the Court is Robinson’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. (Doc. 59). 2 Robinson asks the Court to grant summary judgment on all aspects of the case except 3 Glass’s claim that the leg sweep constituted an unreasonable use of force in violation of 4 the Fourth Amendment. (Doc. 59 at 13). Specifically, Robinson argues, “[t]he undisputed 5 facts show that: (1) Officer Robinson had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff; (2) Plaintiff 6 resisted arrest; and (3) Officer Robinson was entitled to use force to overcome Plaintiff’s 7 resistance.” (Doc. 59 at 13). 8 Defendant’s motion will be granted in part. 9 BACKGROUND 10 Defendant Christopher Robinson is a Gilbert, Arizona police officer. (Doc. 59 at 11 1). On March 9, 2018, Robinson responded to the address of an apartment complex 12 regarding a possible vehicle burglary. (Doc. 60 at 1). Robinson was informed by dispatch 13 that a witness saw a Caucasian female wearing shorts and a hoodie jump the gate to the 14 apartment complex and try to break into a red pickup truck. (Doc. 60 at 1). Robinson was 15 also informed the woman appeared intoxicated, and was at one point sitting in a vehicle 16 outside the gate of the complex. (Doc. 60 at 1). When Robinson arrived at the complex, 17 he observed the vehicle the woman was reported to be sitting in had a flat tire. (Doc. 60 at 18 2). Objects scattered around the vehicle, such as a car jack, indicated someone may have 19 tried to change the tire unsuccessfully. (Doc. 60 at 2). 20 Robinson encountered Plaintiff Samantha Glass, who matched the description of the 21 identified female, sitting on a second-floor landing. (Doc. 60 at 2). The interaction 22 between Robinson and Glass was recorded by a body-worn camera. (Doc. 60 at 2). The 23 parties agree the body-cam video, which is included in the summary judgment filings, 24 (Doc. 60-2), accurately depicts the interaction between Robinson and Glass. (Doc. 60 at 25 2; Doc. 65 at 2, 7). During the interaction, Glass explained she was waiting for her 26 boyfriend to return to his apartment. (Doc. 60 at 2). Glass appeared intoxicated. (Doc. 60 27 at 3; Doc. 60-2). 28 During the interaction, Robinson put on gloves and told Glass he was going to put 1 her in handcuffs. (Doc. 60 at 3; Doc. 60-2). When Glass subsequently attempted to leave 2 the area, Robinson grabbed her arm and attempted to force it behind her back. (Doc. 60 at 3 3; Doc. 60-2). Glass struggled against Robinson’s grip. (Doc. 60-2). Robinson then told 4 Glass she was not free to leave and Glass continued to resist. (Doc. 60-2). At one point, 5 Glass’s head went down and her arm raised up. (Doc. 60-2). The parties dispute whether 6 this gesture was an attempt to strike Robinson with her elbow. (Doc. 60 at 4; Doc. 65 at 7 4). 8 Robinson then performed a “leg sweep,” which caused Glass’s face to strike the 9 concrete floor. (Doc. 60-2). The face-first contact with the floor split Glass’s lip, which 10 caused her blood to spill on the ground and on her legs. (Doc. 60 at 5; Doc. 60-2). She 11 began to cry. (Doc. 60-2). 12 Glass does not dispute Robinson had probable cause to arrest her after he had 13 instructed her not to leave and she continued to struggle to get free. (Doc. 65 at 6). Rather, 14 she argues there was no probable cause to justify Robinson grabbing her wrist. (Doc. 65 15 at 6). 16 Glass was transported to the hospital. (Doc. 60 at 5). Robinson performed a blood 17 draw pursuant to a search warrant which showed a blood alcohol concentration (“BAC”) 18 of 0.199. (Doc. 60 at 5). Glass later pled guilty to failure to obey a police officer and to 19 extreme DUI, which is satisfied by a BAC greater than or equal to 0.15. (Doc. 60 at 5). 20 LEGAL STANDARD 21 Summary judgment may be granted on any claim or defense if there is no genuine 22 issue of material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. 23 Civ. P. 56(c); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 321 (1986). Material facts are 24 those which may affect the outcome of the case and a dispute as to a material fact is 25 “genuine” only if there is sufficient evidence for a reasonable trier of fact to decide in 26 favor of the nonmoving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 27 (1986). On a motion for summary judgment, the Court draws all reasonable inferences 28 that may be taken from the underlying facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving 1 party. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574 (1986). 2 And, on a motion for summary judgment, “the district court does not assess credibility or 3 weigh the evidence, but simply determines whether there is a genuine factual issue for 4 trial.” House v. Bell, 574 U.S. 518, 559–560 (2006). The moving party has the initial 5 burden of production for showing the absence of any material fact. Celotex Corp., 477 6 U.S. at 331. 7 ANALYSIS 8 Robinson seeks partial summary judgment, requesting the Court find as a matter of 9 law “(1) he had probable cause to arrest Plaintiff; (2) Plaintiff resisted arrest; and (3) he 10 was entitled to use force to overcome Plaintiff’s resistance.” (Doc. 59 at 1-2). In other 11 words, Robinson seeks to limit the issue for trial to solely the question whether the leg 12 sweep was objectively unreasonable. (Doc. 59 at 2). Robinson’s briefing is inconsistent 13 and alternates between presenting arguments under the legal standard applicable to 14 investigatory stops, i.e., Terry stops, and the legal standard applicable to arrests. (Doc. 60 15 at 8-11). Robinson’s briefing also fails to distinguish between facts available to Robinson 16 at the time of the interaction with Glass, which could support probable cause, and facts that 17 only became clear after the fact, which cannot. (Doc. 60 at 9-10). See Rosenbam v. 18 Washoe Cty., 663 F.3d 1071, 1076 (9th Cir. 2011). But, based on the undisputed facts and 19 the governing law, Robinson had reasonable suspicion to detain Glass.

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

Related

Terry v. Ohio
392 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1968)
Hensley v. Eckerhart
461 U.S. 424 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Graham v. Connor
490 U.S. 386 (Supreme Court, 1989)
United States v. Lanier
520 U.S. 259 (Supreme Court, 1997)
Scott v. Harris
550 U.S. 372 (Supreme Court, 2007)
United States v. Anthony Ruiz Del Vizo
918 F.2d 821 (Ninth Circuit, 1990)
United States v. William M. Davis, Ashland, Inc.
261 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Benjamin J. Diaz-Juarez
299 F.3d 1138 (Ninth Circuit, 2002)
Espinosa v. City and County of San Francisco
598 F.3d 528 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
Prado Navarette v. California
134 S. Ct. 1683 (Supreme Court, 2014)
Hershel Rosenbaum v. Washoe County
663 F.3d 1071 (Ninth Circuit, 2011)
Steve Klein v. City of Laguna Beach
810 F.3d 693 (Ninth Circuit, 2016)
United States v. Hector Magallon-Lopez
817 F.3d 671 (Ninth Circuit, 2016)
United States v. Bennett
868 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 2017)
Anthony Reed v. Doug Lieurance
863 F.3d 1196 (Ninth Circuit, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Glass v. Robinson, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glass-v-robinson-azd-2022.