LeVay v. Morken

District Court, E.D. Michigan·Decided April 18, 2022·No. 1:20-cv-13146·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN NORTHERN DIVISION

ROSS D. LEVAY,

Plaintiff, Case No. 1:20-cv-13146

v. Honorable Thomas L. Ludington United States District Judge DAVID MORKEN, et al., Honorable Patricia T. Morris Defendants. United States Magistrate Judge ______________________________________/

ROSS D. LEVAY

Plaintiff, Case No. 1:22-cv-10120

v. Honorable Thomas L. Ludington United States District Court UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Honorable Patricia T. Morris Defendant. United States Magistrate Judge ______________________________________/

OPINION AND ORDER (1) GRANTING GOVERNMENT’S MOTION TO DISMISS, (2) DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR MORE DEFINITE STATEMENT, (3) DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S FIRST COMPLAINT WITHOUT PREJUDICE, AND (4) DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S SECOND COMPLAINT WITH PREJUDICE

Plaintiff Ross D. LeVay is a vexatious litigant and has abused the in forma pauperis statute. He has filed two complaints, now consolidated. As explained hereafter, his first complaint will be dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute and disobeying a court order, and his second complaint will be dismissed for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. I. A. In 2017, Plaintiff filed a suit against the United States Congress and the Attorney General to compel the Government to enact legislation outlawing portions of the Qur’an and curtailing the rights of Muslims, purportedly to prevent violence by Islamic extremists. See Levay v. United States, Case No. 1:17-cv-10517 (E.D. Mich. filed Feb. 17, 2017), Compl., ECF No. 1. This Court dismissed that case (1) for lack of standing because he had not been harmed by Islamic extremists, and (2) because his requested relief would violate the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise clauses. See id., Order, ECF No. 14. After his case was dismissed, Plaintiff filed numerous

frivolous post-judgment motions. See id., ECF Nos. 16, 18, 20, 22. B. On November 29, 2021, Plaintiff Ross D. LeVay filed a pro se complaint against Defendants David Morken; Bandwidth.com CLEC., LLC; and Bandwidth Inc., alleging that Defendants failed to comply with law enforcement regarding communication assistance, 18 U.S.C. § 2522 (“CALEA”); aiding and abetting stalking, id. §§ 2, 2261A; interstate communication threats, id. § 875; malicious use of service, MICH. COMP. LAWS § 750.540e; gross negligence; intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress; concealment; and civil-rights violations, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. ECF No. 1. He concurrently applied to proceed in forma pauperis. ECF No. 2.

In December 2020, the case was referred to Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris for all pretrial matters. ECF No. 5. The same day, Judge Morris granted Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis. ECF No. 6. In January 2021, Judge Morris issued a report recommending that this Court dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint sua sponte. ECF No. 7. Later that month, Plaintiff objected to the Report and Recommendation (“R&R”). ECF No. 11. The next month, the R&R was adopted, Plaintiff’s objections were overruled, and the case was dismissed. ECF Nos. 12; 13. One month later, Plaintiff appealed the dismissal. ECF No. 14. In November 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded the case regarding the dismissal of Plaintiff’s CALEA and state-law claims. ECF - 2 - No. 18. The Sixth Circuit explained that even though CALEA might not “provide[] a private right of action, it cannot be said that [Plaintiff’s] complaint failed to allege facts that could support a [CALEA] claim.” Id. at PageID.96. The Sixth Circuit elaborated that this Court improperly dismissed the CALEA claim because, “[]though the allegations are confusing,” the complaint “lays out” “many more allegations . . . in fairly elaborate, if somewhat confounding detail.” Id.

In other words, the Sixth Circuit held that a complaint alleging “confounding” and “confusing” facts can state a claim under a statute that might not create a private right of action if it “lays out” the facts in “fairly elaborate” detail. See id.; LeVay v. Morken, No. 21-1257 (6th Cir. Nov. 15, 2021) (unpublished). Because of that ruling, this case persisted. On December 16, 2021, this Court reopened the case and referred it to Judge Morris, again, for general case management. ECF No. 20. Twenty days later, Judge Morris scheduled the first Rule 26(f) conference in Case No. 1:20-cv-13146. ECF No. 21. C. Two weeks later, Plaintiff filed a new complaint seeking injunctive relief under 42 U.S.C.

§ 1983 and impeachment of the undersigned under the Good Behavior Clause of the United States Constitution. See LeVay v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-10120 (E.D. Mich. filed Jan. 20, 2022), ECF No. 1. Eleven days later, Plaintiff filed a motion to disqualify the undersigned, Judge Morris, and District Judge Laurie J. Michelson in both cases under 28 U.S.C. § 144 and § 455. LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-cv-13146 (E.D. Mich. Jan. 31, 2022), ECF Nos. 22; 23; LeVay v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-10120 (E.D. Mich. Jan. 31, 2022), ECF No. 5. To address that motion, this Court vacated the order that referred Case No. 1:20-cv-13146 to Judge Morris, returning the case to the undersigned. See LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-cv-13146 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 3, 2022), ECF No. 25. - 3 - Plaintiff filed a consolidated petition to the Sixth Circuit for a writ of mandamus in both of his pending cases. LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-cv-13146 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 28, 2022), ECF No. 27 LeVay v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-10120 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 28, 2022), ECF No. 8. Consistent with Plaintiff’s intent, this court consolidated both cases. LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-cv-13146 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 1, 2022), ECF No. 28; LeVay v. United States, No. 1:22-cv-10120 (E.D. Mich.

Mar. 1, 2022), ECF No. 9. Plaintiffs’ Motions to Disqualify were denied, and he was directed to serve a summons on the private Defendants on or before April 1, 2022. See generally LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-CV- 13146, 2022 WL 766442 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 11, 2022). D. Ten days after Plaintiff’s Motions to Disqualify were denied and he was directed to serve Defendants, Plaintiff filed a motion to stay both cases and, confusingly, to compel the undersigned to voluntarily submit to genomic-psychopathy testing under 28 U.S.C. § 351. See ECF No. 34. Nine days later, Plaintiff filed a second motion to stay his original case while this Court

decided pending motions in the other case. ECF No. 37. Although submitted under the guise of a motion to stay, really, Plaintiff’s new motion merely relitigated the arguments that he made in his complaints and his motions to recuse. This Court found that “Plaintiff’s non-merits-related claims [were] either frivolous or unsubstantiated,” and that Plaintiff was a vexatious litigant who had abused the in forma pauperis statute. LeVay v. Morken, No. 1:20-CV-13146, 2022 WL 982360, at *3 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 30, 2022). Plaintiff’s second Motion to Stay was denied, and he was directed to show cause, on or before April 8, 2022, why he should not be sanctioned under Rule 11 to pay $1,000.00. Id. Plaintiff

- 4 - has not yet followed that Order. Yet Plaintiff will not be directed to pay $1,000.00 because both of his cases will be dismissed, as explained hereafter. II.

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