Goldblatt v. Geiger

867 F. Supp. 2d 201, 2012 DNH 65, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46005, 2012 WL 1107718
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedApril 2, 2012
DocketCase No. 10-cv-537-PB
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 867 F. Supp. 2d 201 (Goldblatt v. Geiger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goldblatt v. Geiger, 867 F. Supp. 2d 201, 2012 DNH 65, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46005, 2012 WL 1107718 (D.N.H. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

PAUL BARBADORO, District Judge.

Kenn Goldblatt and Sima Mazzu, proceeding pro se, bring suit against an administrative judge, an associate justice, and a marital master of the Family Division of the New Hampshire court system (the “Family Court”). The case concerns defendants’ exclusion of Goldblatt as Mazzu’s non-attorney representative in a Family Court case instituted by Mazzu’s ex-husband. Mazzu asserts a claim under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12132 et seq. (“ADA”). Goldblatt asserts claims under Title V of the ADA and under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violation of his due process and equal protection rights. Defendants have filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). In this Memorandum and Order, I grant defendants’ motion to dismiss.

I. BACKGROUND1

The claims arise out of a child custody dispute that began more than five years ago in the Manchester branch of the Family Court (the “Manchester Court”) and is currently before the Salem branch of the Family Court (the “Salem Court”). The proceeding involves Mazzu as respondent, her ex-husband, James, as petitioner, and a guardian ad litem (“GAL”) appointed to represent Mazzu’s daughter’s interests.

A. Mazzu’s Requests for Accommodations from the Family Court

Mazzu has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”), and- her involvement in court proceedings exacerbates her disability. In May 2009, Mazzu’s attorney, Jannette Mooney, filed a request for ADA accommodations for Mazzu in the Manchester Court, citing PTSD as a disability qualifying her for the entitlements and benefits of that law. These requests included, among others, never being subjected to examination by the opposing party, telephonic appearances, and the sealing of all documents related to her medical condition. The Manchester Court denied the requested accommodations as “unreasonable” on June 18, 2009.- At that time, the presiding marital master in the case was Bruce Dalpra, and the presiding judge was Judge O’Neill. Neither Dalpra nor O’Neill are defendants in this action.

[205]*205In June 2009, Mazzu moved for reconsideration of the decision denying her request for accommodations. Before O’Neill ruled on Mazzu’s motion for reconsideration, Mazzu and her ex-husband settled the action.

The following year, the parties became involved in litigation again.2 Marital Master Nancy Geiger and Judge John Emery, two of the defendants in this ease, presided over the action. In addition to Mazzu and her ex-husband, the case also involved a GAL who represented the interest of the parties’ daughter.

In June 2010, Mazzu moved to appear telephonically at an upcoming conference with the GAL, scheduled for September 1, 2010. In that motion, Mazzu noted that she “will file a more detailed accommodations request outlining the specific accommodations sought for future hearings.” The court granted Mazzu’s motion the following day and informed Mazzu that the court would need “specific information as to exactly what accommodations were being requested well in advance of any hearing so that it can be reviewed and the appropriate arrangements can be made.” The hearing scheduled for September 1, 2010, was subsequently rescheduled to October 18, 2010.

On October 8, 2010, Mazzu filed a list of requested accommodations for the upcoming hearing. The requests included the ability to appeal' telephonically and general flexibility with deadlines. In a scheduling order dated November 2, 2010, the court noted that it was still considering Mazzu’s requests for accommodations, as well as a subsequent request to keep Mazzu’s records confidential.3 For an upcoming hearing on November 22, 2010, the court granted Mazzu’s request to appear telephonically, and noted that if she attended the hearing in person, there would be a break and she would not be required to testify. Mazzu attended the conference via telephone.

Shortly thereafter, Geiger recused herself from Mazzu’s case because of a conflict. Marital Master Jennifer Lemire took over the case. Lemire subsequently recused herself because of a conflict with the GAL. Because Geiger and Lemire were the only two marital masters in the Manchester Court, Emery transferred the case to the Salem Court on January 12, 2011.

In the Salem Court, Mooney filed a motion requesting that Mazzu be allowed to appear telephonically for an upcoming status conference in March 2011. The court granted the motion. The court subsequently granted Mooney’s request for Mazzu to appear telephonically at another hearing in June 2011. The court further ordered that Mazzu “will be represented by her attorney in the courtroom. For so long as she has legal representation her attorney will speak on her behalf.” The court also directed Mazzu to submit a proposed list of accommodations she wished the court to order.

On August 12, 2011, Mooney submitted a letter to the clerk of court requesting [206]*206various accommodations for Mazzu. On September 2, 2011, before the court determined whether to grant Mazzu’s accommodations, Mooney withdrew as Mazzu’s attorney. On October 18, 2011, the Salem Court granted all of Mazzu’s requests for accommodations.4 The case is currently pending in the Salem Court.

B. Goldblatt’s Representation of Mazzu

Sometime in August 2010, while the case was in the Manchester Court before Geiger and Emery, Mazzu hired Goldblatt, a non-attorney, as her ADA Advocate. On August 20, 2010, Goldblatt filed an affidavit in the court, along with a durable power of attorney executed by Mazzu, and entered an appearance as Mazzu’s non-attorney representative under New Hampshire Family Division Rule (“FD Rule”) 1.18.5 FD Rule 1.18 requires a non-lawyer seeking to represent a party in Family Court to file a power of attorney and an affidavit disclosing certain information regarding prior convictions, prior violations of court orders or rules of professional conduct, and prior proceedings in which he or she has appeared on behalf of another person.

On August 24, 2010, the Family Court held a hearing regarding child custody issues. Goldblatt participated by telephone. On August 25, 2010, Goldblatt submitted for in camera review a packet of materials, including a motion for leave to file an amicus curiae brief and a proposed amicus brief addressing his role as an advocate for persons with disabilities under the ADA and Mazzu’s rights under the ADA. Over the succeeding weeks, Goldblatt filed pleadings in the Manchester Court, participated in an “ex parte hearing” scheduled by the GAL, exchanged emails with the GAL and Mooney, and moved for sanctions against Mazzu’s ex-husband for filing frivolous pleadings.

With respect to the email exchange between the GAL and Mooney, Goldblatt became involved because he believed that those parties were engaged in “pointless bickering.” Goldblatt informed the parties and the court of his belief in that regard.

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Bluebook (online)
867 F. Supp. 2d 201, 2012 DNH 65, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46005, 2012 WL 1107718, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goldblatt-v-geiger-nhd-2012.