Johnson v. Anhorn

416 F. Supp. 2d 338, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3866, 2006 WL 266531
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 31, 2006
DocketCiv.A. 03-2424, Civ.A. 04-146
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 416 F. Supp. 2d 338 (Johnson v. Anhorn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Anhorn, 416 F. Supp. 2d 338, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3866, 2006 WL 266531 (E.D. Pa. 2006).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

ANITA B. BRODY, District Judge.

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*347 [[Image here]]

Plaintiffs Dwayne Richard Johnson (“Johnson”), Damian A. Graham (“Graham”), Charles Henry Covington (“Coving-ton”), Phenix Crumpton (“Crumpton”), and Daniel A. Antonelli (“Antonelli”) bring these related civil rights actions 1 alleging that former Whitemarsh Township 2 Police Sergeant Guy A. Anhorn (“Anhorn”), Whi-temarsh Township Police Lieutenant Jesse Stemple (“Stemple”), Whitemarsh Township (“the Township”), the Whitemarsh Township Police Department (“the Police Department”), and Michael A. Zeock, William P. Rimel III, Peter B. Cornog, Anne Younglove, Ronald J. Derosa, and Lawrence Gregan (collectively, “the individual Township officials”) violated their constitutional and state law rights. The plaintiffs are all African American residents of Pennsylvania. Under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983, plaintiffs Graham, Covington, Crumpton, and Antonelli allege that An-horn stopped them (in three separate incidents) without reasonable suspicion and on the basis of race, in violation of their rights under the Fourth Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection clause, and state law. Plaintiff Johnson alleges that Anhorn undertook racially motivated official conduct against him, in violation of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights and state law. The plaintiffs further allege that Stemple and Anhorn conspired to violate their civil rights, in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1985 and state law. In addition, they allege that *348 Stemple, Whitemarsh Township, and the Whitemarsh Township Police Department are liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for acquiescing in, promoting, or condoning An-horn’s alleged conduct. The plaintiffs also seek recovery under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 against the individual Whitemarsh Township officials, Stemple, and the Township for allegedly neglecting to prevent Stemple and Anhorn’s conspiracy to violate the plaintiffs’ civil rights.

Jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1367. The defendants have moved for summary judgment as to all counts and all plaintiffs. Anhorn and the individual Township officials move for summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity as to all claims by all plaintiffs. For the reasons that follow, I will grant in part and deny in part summary judgment to Anhorn, without prejudice to raise certain claims in a motion in limine before trial. I will deny summary judgment to the individual Township officials without prejudice to raise in a motion in limine before trial. I will deny summary judgment to Stemple, the Township, and the Township Police Department, without prejudice to raise certain claims in a motion in limine before trial. Qualified immunity is denied to Anhorn and to the individual Township officials due to outstanding issues of material fact.

I. FACTS 3

The allegations in this case arise primarily from four separate encounters in 2001 and 2002 between the plaintiffs and then-Sergeant Guy Anhorn (“Anhorn”). Because Anhorn’s history with the Whitem-arsh Township Police Department (“the Police Department”) and Whitemarsh Township (“the Township”) is relevant to the claims of all plaintiffs, I will begin with these facts. Then I will discuss each plaintiffs encounter with Anhorn, presenting the version of events most favorable to the plaintiff, as supported by evidence in the record.

During all relevant times, Anhorn was one of five sergeants in the approximately thirty-five-member Whitemarsh Township Police Department. (Johnson Am. Compl. ¶ 10; Hale Rep., Pis.’ Resp. to Stemple’s Mot. Summ. J. Ex. B at RMA-00005.) As sergeant, Anhorn was the immediate supervisor of a platoon of officers. (Anhorn Dep., Township’s Ex. D at 14.) Defendant Jesse Stemple (“Stemple”) was the only lieutenant in the Police Department during the time in question and was Anhorn’s immediate supervisor. (Johnson Am. Compl. ¶ 11; Hale Rep., Pis.’ Resp. to Stemple Ex. B at RMA-00005.) As lieutenant, Stemple was second in command and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Department. (Hale Rep., Pis.’ Resp. to Stemple Ex. B at RMA-00003.) Stem-ple’s duties also included taking charge of the Department in the Chief of Police’s absence, such as the interim period between Chief Richard Zolko’s death in July 2002 and the Township’s appointment of a new Chief in 2003. (Id. at RMA-00003, 00010.)

Whitemarsh Township’s governing body is its Board of Supervisors (“the Township Board”). During the relevant time period, the Township Board included defendants Michael A. Zeock, William P. Rimel III, Peter B. Cornog, Anne Younglove, and Ronald J. Derosa, and defendant Lawrence Gregan held the position of Township Manager. (See Johnson Am. Compl. *349 ¶¶ 15-20.) The Chief of Police is appointed by the Township Board and is accountable to the Township-Manager for the performance of the Police Department. (See Hale Rep., Pis.’ Resp. to Stemple Ex. B at RMA-00010.)

At some point during the 1990s, police officers in the Department became concerned about Anhorn’s policing practices. Officers were concerned that Anhorn regularly conducted searches and seizures without reasonable suspicion or probable cause, exhibited racial bias against African Americans, engaged in racial profiling, and falsified Investigative Reports and Affidavits of Probable Cause. (See generally Hale Rep., Pis.’ Resp. to Stemple Ex. B; Keystone Rep., Pls.’ Resp. to Stemple Ex. H.)

Some of these concerns were communicated to the Township Board. In about 1995, then-Officer Donald Bowers (“Bowers”) wrote a memorandum to then-Chief Zolko, explaining that Anhorn regularly engaged in illegal search and seizure practices. (See Dolan Dep., Township’s Ex. K at 24-25.) In about 1999, retired Officer Paul Davis told Township Supervisor Anne Younglove (“Younglove”) about Anhorn’s practices and recommended that the Township Board take action. (Id. at 61.) Township Supervisor Michael Zeock (“Zeock”) was a Township Police Officer prior to joining the Township Board in 2001 and had personal knowledge of An-hom’s practices. (See id. at 159-60; Keenan Dep., Pis.’ Resp. to Township’s Mot. Summ. J. Ex. K at 137.) After joining the Board in 2001, Zeock notified the Board about the officers’ concerns about Anhorn. (See Dolan Dep., Township’s Ex. K at 159.)

Some of these concerns were also communicated to then-Chief Zolko and-Stem-pie.

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Bluebook (online)
416 F. Supp. 2d 338, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3866, 2006 WL 266531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-anhorn-paed-2006.