Levine v. City of Bothell

904 F. Supp. 2d 1124, 2012 WL 5248760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152947
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedOctober 24, 2012
DocketCase No. C11-1280MJP
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 904 F. Supp. 2d 1124 (Levine v. City of Bothell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Levine v. City of Bothell, 904 F. Supp. 2d 1124, 2012 WL 5248760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152947 (W.D. Wash. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER ON CITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

MARSHA J. PECHMAN, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the motion for summary judgment filed by Defendants the City of Bothell and Bothell Police Department Detective A. Sean Ungvarsky. (Dkt. No. 24.) Having reviewed the motion, Plaintiffs opposition (Dkt. No. 31), Defendants’ reply (Dkt. No. 33), and all related filings (Dkt. Nos. 25, 26, 32), the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART Defendants’ motion. The Court GRANTS summary judgment in favor of Defendant City of Bothell on Plaintiffs § 1983 claims because Plaintiff fails to allege his constitutional injuries resulted from municipal policy, practice, or custom. The Court also GRANTS Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs malicious prosecution claim, because no genuine issue of material fact exists with regard to that claim. The Court DENIES summary judgment on all other claims because Defendant Ungvarsky does not have qualified immunity and because genuine issues of material fact exist.

Background

This case is about what, if any, remedy is available when a police officer fails to comply with the Fourth Amendment requirement that an application for a search warrant be “supported by oath or affirmation.” U.S. Const, amend. IV. Defendant Ungvarsky submitted an affidavit for a search warrant of Plaintiffs home, but failed to make any oath or affirmation, either orally or in writing, in support of his application. (Dkt. No. 31 at 9-10.) Criminal charges against Plaintiff for manufacturing marijuana were dismissed in 2009 because of warrant defects, and Plaintiff now seeks damages for violation of his Fourth Amendment rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 from the individual officer who applied for the faulty search warrant, as well the municipal entities that executed the warrant. (Dkt. No. 32-2 at 3.) Plaintiff also seeks damages for trespass, conversion, and malicious prosecution against the municipal entities, but not the individual officer. (Dkt. No. 1 at 12-16.)

This case began on Aug. 4, 2008, when Bothell Police officers responded to a reported assault at Plaintiffs home. (Dkt. No. 25 at 2.) Officers identified the victim as Plaintiffs girlfriend, who told them she had been assaulted by Plaintiff. (Id.) Plaintiffs girlfriend also told officers that Plaintiff had been growing about fifty large plants in his basement, and that he kept about thirty firearms in a locked safe in his living room. (Id.)

Bothell police officers arrested Plaintiff for assault. (Dkt. No. 25 at 2.) While searching Plaintiff incident to the arrest, one of the officers detected the smell of fresh marijuana on Plaintiffs body. (Id.) Later that day, officers again interviewed Plaintiffs girlfriend about the plants in Plaintiffs basement. (Id.) A Bothell Police detective also made a public power usage request to the Snohomish County Public Utility District, which showed higher than normal power usage, consistent with an indoor marijuana growing operation. (Id. at 4.)

The following day, Aug. 5, 2008, Bothell Police Department Detective A. Sean Ungvarsky authored a five-page search warrant affidavit and a one-page proposed search warrant. (Dkt. No. 25 at 4.) While Detective Ungvarsky says he believed he was making an affirmation under penalty of perjury, the affidavit contained no lan[1128]*1128guage saying it was sworn under penalty of perjury, and Detective Ungvarsky never made any formal oath or affirmation to anyone regarding his affidavit. (Dkt. No. 24 at 4.) The affidavit and proposed warrant were reviewed and approved by a Snohomish County deputy prosecuting attorney. (Id.) Detective Ungvarsky called various Snohomish County District Courts to see if a judge was available, and learned that Cascade District Court Commissioner Paul Moon was available to review the search warrant application if it was sent by fax. (Dkt. No. 25 at 4-5.) Ungvarsky then faxed it to Moon. (Id.)

Commissioner Moon reviewed the affidavit and signed it because he determined that the affidavit established probable cause to believe that Plaintiff had committed the crime of manufacturing marijuana under RCW 9A.50. (Dkt. No. 26 at 2.) Moon struck the language “subscribed before me” from the affidavit, because Detective Ungvarsky had not been sworn by him. (Id.) In his declaration, Moon states that the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office had recently sent a memo to police agencies with instructions to sign affidavits with the certification language in RCW 9A.72.085, and Moon believed Ungvarsky had followed these procedures. (Dkt. No. 26 at 2.) Moon states he believed the certification procedure in RCW 9A.72.085— which allows a written certification under penalty of perjury to satisfy prior requirements of a sworn statement — satisfied the “oath or affirmation requirement” of the Fourth Amendment. (Id.) Detective Ungvarsky does not assert that he followed the procedures of RCW 9A.72.085. (Dkt. No. 25 at 5.)

Detective Ungvarsky received the signed search warrant about 90 minutes after he sent it to Commissioner Moon. (Id.) The warrant had been assigned a warrant number, furthering Ungvarsky’s belief that the warrant had been fully approved. (Id.) Following approval, Ungvarsky went to see Plaintiff in the cell where he was being held, and advised Plaintiff that a search warrant had been obtained for his home. (Id.) Another officer, Bot-hell Police Detective Chissus, “asked Mr. Levine whether or not he would like us to use his house keys in order to gain entry into his home.” (Id.) Plaintiff provided written consent for another officer to pickup his keys from the Lynnwood City Jail, where they were being held. (Id.)

The warrant was executed on Plaintiffs home at about 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2008, by members of the Bothell Police Department and the Snohomish County Narcotics Task Force. (Dkt. No. 25 at 5.) The officers recovered seventy live marijuana plants, four dried marijuana plants, packaging equipment, a digital scale, ziplock bags, and heat sealed bags. (Id.) Police also found a safe containing thirty guns, including twenty-two rifles, five shotguns, and two handguns. (Id. at 6.) All of the property was seized, including the firearms. (Id.)

As a result of the search, Plaintiff was detained and then booked into jail. (Dkt. No. 31 at 4.) He was charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with growing marijuana plants, but those charges were later dismissed. (Id. at 4-5.) In addition to the criminal case, Snohomish County and the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, of which Defendant City of Bothell was a member, filed a civil lawsuit seeking forfeiture of Plaintiffs real property, the subject of the search warrant. (Id. at 5.) This case was dismissed on June 16, 2009, based on the same evidentiary issues related to the search warrant. (Id. at 6.)

Plaintiff brings the present suit against Detective Ungvarsky in his individual capacity under 42 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
904 F. Supp. 2d 1124, 2012 WL 5248760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152947, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/levine-v-city-of-bothell-wawd-2012.