Kaufmann v. Saari

889 F. Supp. 1105, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8017, 1995 WL 347983
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJune 6, 1995
DocketNo. 93-C-482
StatusPublished

This text of 889 F. Supp. 1105 (Kaufmann v. Saari) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kaufmann v. Saari, 889 F. Supp. 1105, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8017, 1995 WL 347983 (E.D. Wis. 1995).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

MYRON L. GORDON, District Judge.

The plaintiffs commenced this action on May 13, 1993, with the filing of a complaint asserting claims against the United States and twelve individual defendants. The defendants filed motions to dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint. In a decision and order dated December 22, 1993, I dismissed numerous counts of the plaintiffs’ complaint. Kaufmann v. United States, 840 F.Supp. 641, 659-660 (E.D.Wis.1993).

In an attempt to correct the deficiencies of their original complaint the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint asserting 31 counts against the United States and two individual defendants. The remaining defendants filed a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ amended complaint. In a decision and order dated January 3, 1995,1 dismissed all of the claims of the plaintiffs’ amended complaint with the exception of four Fourth Amendment claims, actionable under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388, 91 S.Ct. 1999, 29 L.Ed.2d 619 (1971). See Kaufmann v. United States, 876 F.Supp. 1044, 1054 (E.D.Wis.1995). The plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment [1107]*1107claims are asserted against defendant Neil Saari personally, on behalf of each of the plaintiffs.

Presently before the court are two motions filed by Mr. Saari. He has filed a motion to amend his answer to include an affirmative defense based upon a release signed by three of the plaintiffs in 1991. The defendant has also filed a motion for summary judgment based upon his assertion that he is qualifiedly immune from the remaining claims of the plaintiffs’ amended complaint.

I. BACKGROUND

On September 11, 1990, Mr. Kaufmann was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(B), and one count of attempted money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3)(B). The indictment also called for the forfeiture of all property traceable to the offense, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 982(a). Magistrate Judge Aaron . Good-stein issued search and seizure warrants for the Harry Kaufmann Motor Cars, Inc. [“KMC”] premises on September 12, 1990. On September 13, 1990, federal agents executed the search warrants and seized all assets of KMC, including 99 automobiles.

A jury found Mr. Kaufmann guilty on count five of the indictment. Mr. Kaufmann pursued an unsuccessful appeal of his conviction. See United States v. Kaufmann, 985 F.2d 884 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. —, 113 S.Ct. 2350, 124 L.Ed.2d 259 (1993).

This action was filed on behalf of Mr. Kaufmann, his wife Eileen M. Kaufmann, KMC and Kaufmann-Campbell Leasing [“Kaufmann-Campbell”]. Mrs. Kaufmann claimed a fifty percent interest in all of Mr. Kaufmann’s assets. The four remaining claims of the plaintiffs’ amended complaint assert that Mr. Saari violated the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment rights, actionable under Bivens. Specifically, in counts I, VIII, XV, and XXII of their amended complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the search and seizure warrants issued by Magistrate Judge Good-stein were issued based in part upon “an invalid indictment, and in part upon misrepresentations knowingly or recklessly contained within Saari’s affidavit in support of the issuance of the warrant.” Amended Complaint at ¶¶28, 58, 90 and 121. The plaintiffs allege that paragraphs 13, 23, and 38 of Mr. Saari’s affidavit, “among others, contain untrue information which could have been discovered with reasonable diligence.”

II. DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

In his brief in support of his motion for summary judgment, the defendant contends that the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment claims fail to provide factual support for their conclusion that Mr. Saari’s affidavit contained misrepresented or untrue information. The defendant also maintains that the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment claims fail specifically to allege or to provide factual support to show that Mr. Saari, while performing discretionary functions, violated clearly established law regarding the Fourth Amendment. As such, Mr. Saari asserts that he is entitled to qualified immunity regarding the plaintiffs’ remaining claims.

A. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Summary judgment

shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Rule 56(c), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Material facts are those that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “[S]ummary judgment will not lie if the dispute about a material fact is ‘genuine,’ that is, if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party.” Id.

The movant bears the initial burden of establishing that there is no dispute of material fact. Celotex v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The adverse party must then set forth specific facts to show that there is a genuine issue for trial. Id.; Rule 56(e), Fed[1108]*1108eral Rules of Civil Procedure. The adverse party cannot rely on conelusory allegations to defeat the motion. Hedberg v. Indiana Bell Telephone Co., Inc., 47 F.3d 928, 931 (7th Cir.1995). In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. Id. At the summary judgment stage, the court cannot weigh the evidence to determine the truth of the matter. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2510-11.

B. FACTS

There is no genuine material issue as to any finding of fact proposed by the defendant to which no response has been set forth. See Local Rule 6.05(d). The following are the undisputed facts pertinent to the defendant’s motion for summary judgment. At all times relevant to this action, Neil Saari was employed as a special agent for the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, United States Department of the Treasury. Defendant’s Proposed Findings of Fact [“DPFF’’] at ¶ 1; Saari aff. at ¶ 1. At all times relevant to this action, Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
889 F. Supp. 1105, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8017, 1995 WL 347983, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kaufmann-v-saari-wied-1995.