Koch v. Mirza

869 F. Supp. 1031, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19712, 1994 WL 689881
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 18, 1994
DocketNo. 91-CV-685A
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 869 F. Supp. 1031 (Koch v. Mirza) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koch v. Mirza, 869 F. Supp. 1031, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19712, 1994 WL 689881 (W.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

ORDER

ARCARA, District Judge.

This matter was referred to Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Fosehio, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), on April 8, 1992. Item No. 9. On December 4, 1991, defendants M. Mirza, R. Mirza, Coffey, Rubenstein, Collins, Weiner, Orndoff and Carlini filed a motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). On December 16, 1991, defendant Massaro filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the same ground.1 Defendant Smith filed his answer to the complaint on March 18, 1992, asserting a cross-claim against the State defendants for indemnification. On March 25, 1992, the State defendants filed a motion to dismiss Smith’s cross-claim. As of the filing of the motion to dismiss, defendant Swearin[1034]*1034gen had not been served with the summons and complaint and therefore did not join in the motion.

On October 25, 1993, Magistrate Judge Foschio filed a very thorough Report and Recommendation recommending that the State defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint be granted; that the complaint be dismissed against defendants Smith and Swearingen; and that the State defendants’ motion to dismiss defendant Smith’s cross-claim be deemed moot, or, in the alternative, be granted on the merits. Item No. 20. Plaintiff filed objections to the Report and Recommendation on November 29, 1993. Item No. 23. The State defendants filed a response to plaintiffs objections on December 13, 1993, Item No. 24, and the Court heard oral argument on February 17, 1994.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), this Court must make a de novo determination of those portions of the Report and Recommendation to which objections have been made. Although plaintiff purports to object to the entirety of Magistrate Judge Foschio’s Report and Recommendation, the Court finds that he has asserted only one objection: that Magistrate Judge Foschio erred in finding that plaintiff failed to allege that he attempted to speak out publicly about Rubina Mirza. This objection is relevant to Magistrate Judge Foschio’s consideration of plaintiffs § 1983 claim, and whether plaintiff had set forth a deprivation of any right, privilege or immunity protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States. See Item No. 20, at 6-9.

Upon de novo review of the Report and Recommendation, and after reviewing the submissions of the parties, and hearing argument from counsel, the Court adopts the proposed findings of the Report and Recommendation with respect to plaintiffs objection. The Court notes that Magistrate Judge Foschio interpreted plaintiffs claims very broadly — reading into the complaint any possible claim plaintiff could be attempting to assert. Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in Magistrate Judge Foschio’s Report and Recommendation, defendants’ motion to dismiss the § 1983 claim based on the First Amendment is granted.

With respect to defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs other claims, their motion to dismiss defendant Smith’s cross-claim for indemnity, and Magistrate Judge Foschio’s recommendation that the complaint be dismissed as to defendants Smith and Swearingen, based on the Court’s review of the Report and Recommendation and the submissions of the parties, and no objections having been timely filed, the Court grants these motions and adopts these proposed findings for the reasons set forth in the Report and Recommendation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

FOSCHIO, United States Magistrate Judge.

JURISDICTION

This matter was referred to the undersigned by the Hon. Richard J. Arcara on April 8, 1992 for report and recommendation on any dispositive motions. The matter is presently before the court on the Defendants M. Mirza, R. Mirza, Coffey, Rubenstein, Collins, Weiner, Orndoff, Carlini, and Massaro’s motion to dismiss the complaint and the cross-claim, and Defendant Smith’s cross-motion to dismiss the complaint.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, Gerald W. Koch, D.D.S., filed this complaint on October 22, 1991. Plaintiff, formerly the Director of Dental Services at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, has raised causes of action under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 1985, and 1986. Defendants, with the exception of Defendant Philip D. Smith, at the time of the events giving rise to this action, were employees of the State of New York, Division of Mental Hygiene (the “State Defendants”).

On December 4, 1991, the Defendants M. Mirza, R. Mirza, Coffey, Rubenstein, Collins, Weiner, Orndoff, and Carlini, filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the ground that the complaint failed to state a cause of action. On December 16, 1991, Defendant Massaro also filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the same ground. Defendant Smith filed his answer to the complaint on March 18, [1035]*10351992, asserting a cross-claim against the State Defendants for indemnification. On March 25, 1992, the State Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the cross-claim which was asserted in the answer of Defendant Smith. As of the time of the filing of the motion to dismiss the complaint, Defendant Swearingen had not been served with the summons and complaint, therefore, Swearingen did not join in the motion.

On May 22,1992, Plaintiff filed a motion to amend the complaint to add additional parties. This motion will be discussed in a separate Decision and Order.

On August 7, 1992, Defendant Smith filed a Memorandum of Law in support of his cross-motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim, asserted as an affirmative defense in his Answer, dated March 18, 1992.

Following the submission of various memoranda of law, the court determined that no oral argument on the motions was necessary.

For the reasons as set forth below, I recommend that the State Defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint should be GRANTED. I also recommend that the complaint should be dismissed as against Defendants Swearingen and Smith. Finally, I also recommend that the State Defendants’ motion to dismiss the cross-claim of Defendant Smith should be deemed moot, and, as such, dismissed. Aternatively, I recommend that the State Defendants’ motion to dismiss Defendant Smith’s cross-claim be GRANTED.

FACTS

Plaintiff, a dentist, was appointed, on September 24, 1986, as the interim supervisor of the dental office at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.1 Thereafter, Plaintiff was appointed as Director of Dental Services.

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Bluebook (online)
869 F. Supp. 1031, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19712, 1994 WL 689881, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koch-v-mirza-nywd-1994.