Great Elk Dancer for his Elk Nation v. City of Logan

129 F. Supp. 3d 546, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120171, 2015 WL 5299445
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 9, 2015
DocketCase No. 2:13-cv-565
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 129 F. Supp. 3d 546 (Great Elk Dancer for his Elk Nation v. City of Logan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Great Elk Dancer for his Elk Nation v. City of Logan, 129 F. Supp. 3d 546, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120171, 2015 WL 5299445 (S.D. Ohio 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

MICHAEL H. WATSON, JUDGE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Great Elk Dancer for his Elk Nation (“Plaintiff’), proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against several officers of the City of Logan, Ohio (collectively, “Defendants”). He claims that Defendants arbitrarily and capriciously interfered with his business operations and targeted him for harassment because he is Native American, thereby violating his federal constitutional rights.

Pending before the Court are Plaintiffs objections to two Orders and a.Report and Recommendations (“R & R”) issued by [549]*549former Magistrate Judge Mark Abel1 regarding Plaintiffs motion for counsel, the production of evidence, and a -writ, of mandamus. ECF Nos. 37, 43, & 59, Additionally, Defendants have moved for summary judgment on all of the counts remaining after the initial screen of Plaintiffs complaint. ECF No. 42.

For the following reasons, the Court OVERRULES Plaintiffs objections to Magistrate Judge Abel’s Orders, ECF Nos. 53 & 54, and R & R, ECF No. 64, ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Abel’s R & R, ECF No. 64, and GRANTS Defendants’ motion for summary judgment, ECF No. 42.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

At all relevant times, Plaintiff operated small businesses in the City, of Logan, Ohio. Defendants are various local officials and law enforcement officers: Mayor J. Michael Irvine (“Mayor Irvine”), Service Director Steve Shaw (“Service Director Shaw”), Fire Chief Brian Robertson (“Fire Chief Robertson”), and Officer Josh Mowery (“Officer Mowery”).

Plaintiff asserts that Defendants violated his right to due. process by arbitrarily and capriciously misapplying the law against him or taking away a constitutionally-protected right without due process. He argues they violated his right to equal protection by harassing him because he is a Native American.

The following facts are taken from Plaintiffs complaint, ECF No. 5.

On December 9, 2011, Plaintiff was approached by a person who told him that Officer Mowery was “asking around.” Id. ¶ 15. In January 2012, Plaintiff received “information about Logan Police Officers following customers and harassing them after, leaving [his] place of business.” Id. ¶ 17. At this time, Plaintiff alleges that Officer Mowery tried to frame Plaintiff when Officer Mowery pulled over a customer named “Liz,” and, after finding marijuana in her possession, “Officer Mowery told her if she said she got it from the Plaintiffs business ... Officer Mowery[ ] would release her.” Id.

On January 1, 2012, Plaintiff received notice that he needed to apply to Mayor Irvine for an arcade license for one of; his businesses. He alleges that the business was not an arcade and that he did not possess any arcade machines. Instead, this business “was an [sic] Sweepstake Parlor.” Id. ¶ 16. Plaintiff obtained an arcade license for one of his businesses. It is‘not clear if it is the same business as the one articulated in his complaint.

Plaintiff alleges that almost a year later, on December 28, 2012, he received a request from the offices of Mayor Irvine and Service Director Shaw to renew an arcade license. Plaintiff believes that the license was illegal and unnecessary. Id. ¶ 21.

In September 2012, the day after Plaintiffs internet cafe opened, Fire Chief Robertson posted a violation of occupancy and stop work order on the building. Id. ¶ 20. From September 2012 to April 2013, the internet cafe was shut down “due to Made up Code Violations as a result of [sic] city’s pursuit of Plaintiffs business.” Id. ¶22.

In April 2013, Plaintiff moved one of his businesses to a new location, and “once again Fire Chief Brian Robertson, sent letter to Plaintiffs new Landlord that his business needs to file for Occupancy of Change as an assembly.” Id. ¶ 24.

In conclusion, Plaintiff claims that “Defendants have intended in concert with [550]*550unknown parties on behalf of the City of Logan, whether purposefully or by nature of common ground, to impair and destroy Plaintiffs business and relationships with the-third parties and that denial of licenses and Police harassment was caused as a result- of Plaintiffs National Origin, in that he is Native American.” Id. at PAGEID #47.

Based on these allegations, Plaintiff sues Defendants for violating his substantive and procedural due process rights as well as his equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On March 28, 2014, the Court determined that Plaintiff stated plausible substantive and procedural due process and equal protection claims against Mayor Irvine, Service Director Shaw, and Officer Mowery and substantive due process and equal protection claims against Fire Chief Robertson. Order 8, 11, 13, ECF No. 25 (adopting in part Magistrate Judge Abel’s August 19, 2013 R & R, ECF No. 17). The Court dismissed Plaintiffs claims against the remaining defendants. See id. at 1.

On September 16, 2014, Plaintiff moved for appointment of counsel and the apportionment of funds for a tribal attorney. ECF No. 37. On October 23, 2014, Plaintiff moved to compel the production of certain documents. ECF No. 43. Magistrate Judge Abel denied these two motions, ECF Nos. 53 & 54, and Plaintiff objected, ECF Nos. 55 & 56.

On January 15, 2014, Plaintiff filed a petition for a writ of mandamus seeking to appeal another of Magistrate Judge Abel’s Orders. ECF No. 59. Thereafter, Magistrate Judge Abel issuéd an R & R (“R & R II”) recommending the Court deny this motion. R & R II 2, ECF No. 64. Plaintiff timely objected. ECF No. 65.

In addition, Defendants have moved for summary judgment. ECF No. 42. This motion, Magistrate Judge Abel’s Orders, and the R & R are ripe for review.

The Court first turns to Plaintiffs objections to Magistrate Judge Abel’s Orders before considering R & R II and motion for summary judgment.

III. ANALYSIS

A. Objections to the Magistrate Judge’s Orders.

Plaintiff objected to two of Magistrate Judge Abel’s orders under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72(a). Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a) (allowing parties to seek review of nondispositive orders issued by a Magistrate Judge). The Court “modif[ies] or set[s] aside any- part of the order that is clearly erroneous or is contrary to law.” Id.

1. Plaintiff’s Motion for Appointment of Counsel

Plaintiff moved for the appointment of an attorney “to enable [him] to effectively prepare for trial.” Mot. 2, ECF No. 37. Plaintiff claimed that his case is complex and stated that he questions his own ability to represent himself. Id.' at 3. Plaintiff also argued that 25 C.F.R. § 89.41

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Bluebook (online)
129 F. Supp. 3d 546, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120171, 2015 WL 5299445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/great-elk-dancer-for-his-elk-nation-v-city-of-logan-ohsd-2015.