Johnson v. City of New York

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 2, 2020
Docket1:19-cv-08745
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Johnson v. City of New York, (S.D.N.Y. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK MICHAEL A. JOHNSON II, Plaintiff, 19-CV-8745(LLS) -against- ORDER TO AMEND CITY OF NEW YORK, et al., Defendants. LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge: Plaintiff, who is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed this complaint brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants violated hisrights. By order dated November 5, 2019,Chief Judge Colleen McMahon directed Plaintiff to amend hiscomplaint to address deficiencies in his original pleading. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on February 5, 2020, and the Court has reviewed it. For the reasons set forth in this order, the Court grants Plaintiff 60 days’leave to file a second amended complaint. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court must dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint, or portion thereof, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §1915(e)(2)(B); see Livingston v. Adirondack Beverage Co., 141 F.3d 434, 437 (2d Cir. 1998). The Court must also dismiss a complaint when the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction.See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). While the law mandates dismissal on any of these grounds, the Court is obliged to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted) (emphasis in original). BACKGROUND Plaintiff originally filed this actionasserting claims of assault, battery, false arrest, false imprisonment, denial of medical care, excessive use of force, and malicious prosecution. On

November 5, 2019, Chief Judge McMahon granted Plaintiff leave to detail his claims and name the individual defendants who were involved personally in violating his rights. Plaintiff filed the amended complaint,namingapproximately 75 Defendants, although the pleading does not clearly identify allthe defendants.But to the extent the Court can discern who Plaintiff intended to sue, it appears that Defendants are employed bythe following New York City departments andagencies: (1) the Mayor’s Office; (2) the New York City Police Department (NYPD); (3) the New York City Corporation Counsel; (4) the Manhattan and Bronx District Attorney’s (DA) Offices; (5)the New York City Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS); (6) the Department of Social Services (DSS); and (7) the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).The defendants listed in the caption of the complaint are:

1. The City of New York; 2. Mayor de Blasio; Deputy Mayors Dean Fuleihan, Laura Anglin, Dr. Herminia Palacio, J. Phillip Thompson; 3. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea;NYPDDeputy Commissioners Benjamin Tucker and Joseph Reznick; and former NYPD Commissioner William Bratton; 4. DetectivesOmar Vargas,Smith, and Gurgoro; Inspectors Hennessyand Christopher Mackintosh;Police Officers Zheng,Risc, Konner, Mekedy Jones, Robert Spain, Gillian Sesenton, Mark Peters, Lawrence Byrne, Cathleen Perez, John Miller, Robert Boyce, Robert Fox, Ladas, Luciano, Makeda Thompson; Lieutenants Johnson,King, Ianas; Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chiefs Edward Delatorreand Joseph McGrann; MTA Agent OwenMonaghan; MTA Officers Pennant and Torres; Sergeant Thomas, Nerio, Rodriguez,Orsi; Park Department Officer E. Vasquez and K. Newman; and NYPD SupervisorsKathleen M., Stephen Hughes, Jeffrey Maddrey, Martin Hernandez, Eugene Ross, Terry Lois, Anthony Acevedo, Samuel Salnave, and Manning; and John and Jane Doe NYPD defendants; 5. Corporation Counsel Zachary Carter, and Assistant Corporation Counsel (ACC) Jacqueline Dudley, Martha Calhoun, Dexter Freeman, James Reed, Mandy Darlington, Marlene Campbell, and Peter Uzamere; 6. DA Cyrus Vance, DA Darcel Clark, Assistant District Attorneys (ADA) Smith, Dominque Anglade, and Wesley Blount; 7. EMS technicians Howards and Rivera; 8. Commissioner of the Department of Social Services (DSS) Steven Banks and DSS; Director Byrd; 9. NYCHAemployee Alicia Glen; and 10.Bronx Criminal Court. Plaintiff alleges several sets of allegations, some of which do not appear to be related. But the amended complaint primarily concerns claims of false arrest and malicious prosecution and appear to involve Defendants DetectivesVargasand Giammo; InspectorHennessy;Officers ZhengandRisc; anda John Doe defendant. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that on January 27, 2019,and January 30, 2019, these officers falsely arrested him,illegally removed his service dog, and denied him medical care. Plaintiff further asserts that ADA Anglade deprived him of his service dog, aided in his January 27, 2019 arrest, and maliciously prosecuted him on the charges arising out of the arrest.Plaintiff does not state the nature of the charges, but he claims that on May 3, 2019, he was acquitted of all charges. In addition to these claims, Plaintiff also asserts unrelated claims, including: 1. Mackintosh and John and Jane Doe NYPD defendants participated in a cover-up of a September 4, 2017 assault on Plaintiff. 2. NYCHA employee Glen participated in Plaintiff’s November 8, 2017 arrest. 3. DSS Commissioner Banks created rules and regulations that resulted in DSS staff and NYPD officers harming Plaintiff on November 8, 2017. 4. Dudley and Thompson participated in the violation of Plaintiff’s rights on December 29, 2015. 5. Calhoun participated in the violation of Plaintiff’s rights on March 3, 2014. 6. Uzamere participated in the violation of Plaintiff’s rights on an unspecified dated. 7. Byrd, Reed, Acevedo, Salnave,RossLewis, Jones, and Hernandez participated in the violation of Plaintiff’s rights on February 11, 2014, August 23, 2015, and September 24, 2015. 8. On November 8, 2017, Freeman“made comments to KILL Plaintiff and [his] service dog.” (ECF No. 7 at 13.) 9. Ross participated in violating Plaintiff’s rights in 2017. 10.Employees of the FDNY denied Plaintiff medical care on several occasions from 2017- 2019. 11.OnJanuary 27, 2020, state court judges in the Bronx Criminal Court ordered Plaintiff’s service dog be removed from the courthouse. DISCUSSION A. False arrest and Malicious Prosecution Claims A claim for false arrest under §1983 incorporates the elements of a falsearrest claim under state law. See Boyd v. City of New York, 336 F.3d 72, 75 (2d Cir. 2003). To establish a false arrest claim under New York law, a plaintiff must show that: “(1) the defendant intended to confine [the plaintiff], (2) the plaintiff was conscious of the confinement, (3) the plaintiff did not consent to the confinement and (4)the confinement was not otherwise privileged.”Liranzo v. United States, 690 F.3d 78, 95 (2d Cir. 2012). An arrest is privileged ifit is based on probable cause.Jenkins v. City of New York, 478 F.3d 76, 84 (2d Cir. 2007) (“The existence of probable cause to arrest constitutes justification and is a complete defense to an action for false arrest.”) (quoting Weyant v. Okst, 101 F.3d 845, 852 (2d Cir. 1996)) (internal quotation marks omitted).

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Bluebook (online)
Johnson v. City of New York, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-city-of-new-york-nysd-2020.