Long v. Hoag

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMarch 6, 2025
Docket4:24-cv-01228
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Long v. Hoag, (E.D. Mo. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION MARIO B. LONG, SR., ) Plaintiff, v. No. 4:24-CV-1228 JAR CATHERINE M. HOAG, et al., Defendants. MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Before the Court is self-represented plaintiff Mario B. Long, Sr.’s complaint brought pursuant to Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. [ECF No. 1]. Plaintiff was granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis in this Court on October 25, 2024, and he paid an initial partial filing fee of $28.00 on December 23, 2024. [ECF Nos. 5 and 8]. The Court has reviewed the complaint pursuant to 28 ULS.C. § 1915 and has determined it is subject to dismissal, without prejudice. Legal Standard on Initial Review This Court is required to review a complaint filed in forma pauperis and must dismiss it if it is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). An action is frivolous if it “lacks an arguable basis in either law or fact.” Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 328 (1989). An action fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted if it does not plead “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v, Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim is facially plausible when the plaintiff “pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.”

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). Although a plaintiff need not allege facts in painstaking detail, the facts alleged “must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. This standard “demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” [gbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief is a context-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw upon judicial experience and common sense. Jd. at 679. The court must assume the veracity of well-pleaded facts but need not accept as true “It{hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements.” /d. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). District courts must liberally construe complaints filed by laypeople. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976). This means that “if the essence of an allegation is discernible,” courts should “construe the complaint in a way that permits the layperson’s claim to be considered within the proper legal framework.” Solomon v. Petray, 795 F.3d 777, 787 (8th Cir. 2015) (quoting Stone v. Harry, 364 F.3d 912, 914 (8th Cir. 2004)). However, even pro se complaints must allege facts that, if true, state a claim for relief as a matter of law. Martin v. Aubuchon, 623 F.2d 1282, 1286 (8th Cir. 1980), District courts are not required to assume facts that are not alleged, Stone, 364 F.3d at 914-15, or interpret procedural rules in a manner that excuses the mistakes of those who proceed without counsel. See McNeil v. United States, 508 U.S. 106, 113 (1993).

Background! According to publicly available documents, on August 6, 2020, officers responded to a 911 call reporting the flourishing of a gun at 4624 Louisiana Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri. The caller, a minor child, told dispatch that her mother’s boyfriend, Mario Long, Sr., was pointing a gun at her mother after breaking a glass door to get into their home. When police arrived at the home, plaintiff was observed screaming and cursing at the victim, who claimed that Mario Long, St., had assaulted her and pointed a gun at she and her daughter. Although plaintiff was initially taken into custody by St. Louis City Metropolitan Police Department and charged, on or about August 6, 2020, with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon — exhibiting, and domestic assault in the fourth degree in the Circuit Court of St. Louis, Missouri, see Staie v. Long, No. 2022-CRO1384-01 (22"4 Jud. Cir., St. Louis City Court), the St. Louis City action was later dismissed in lieu of a federal indictment.” Plaintiff was federally indicted on September 3, 2020, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). United States v. Mario Long, No. 4:20-CR-00486 SEP (E.D. Mo. 2024). On January 31, 2022, plaintiff was arraigned and advised of the nature of the charges in front of United States Magistrate Judge David Noce. United States Attorney Catherine Hoag appeared for the government and attorney Tara Crane appeared on behalf of plaintiff. The Court appointed the Federal Public Defender’s Office to represent plaintiff, and plaintiff was ordered detained at the hearing. Jd.

"The CM/ECF docket numbers in this section of the Court’s Order relate to filings in plaintiff's criminal case. See United States v. Mario Long, No. 4:20-CR-00486 SEP (E.D. Mo. 2024). *Because plaintiffs state court prosecution was dismissed, the Court is unable to access the docket on Missouri Case. Net.

On February 4, 2022, plaintiff’s appointed counsel, Eric Selig, was provided discovery pursuant to Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. [ECF No, 22]. The discovery consisted of police reports, lab reports, ATF eTrace report, criminal history documents, 911 recordings, photographs, and documents from relevant state court proceedings. See id. On August 16, 2022, plaintiffs new attorney, Zachary Borowiak, was provided discovery by Catherine Hoag after a formal request made on August 1, 2022. [ECF No. 47]. Between the date of his arraignment and December of 2022, (and despite being represented by counsel), plaintiff filed numerous pro se filings with the Court, including motions to substitute or terminate his attorney, [ECF Nos. 30, 40, 67], a motion for copy of transcript [ECF No. 34], and a motion to dismiss or for bill of particulars. [ECF No. 49]. The Court denied plaintif{’s first motion to dismiss or for bill of particulars. [ECF No. 50]. However, after a hearing on October 27, 2022, the Court permitted plaintiff to file a second pro se motion to dismiss or for bill of particulars [ECF Nos. 62 and 64], which he filed on November 7, 2022. [ECF No. 65]. In his motion to dismiss or for bill of particulars, plaintiff maintained that he was not guilty of the charge. [ECF No. 65]. Specifically, the plaintiff argued that it was “impossible for him to have handled the firearm in the manner and time frame in which the incident report stated” due to a lack of forensic testing or photographic evidence.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Edwards v. United States
312 U.S. 473 (Supreme Court, 1941)
Estelle v. Gamble
429 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Polk County v. Dodson
454 U.S. 312 (Supreme Court, 1981)
Neitzke v. Williams
490 U.S. 319 (Supreme Court, 1989)
McNeil v. United States
508 U.S. 106 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Edwards v. Balisok
520 U.S. 641 (Supreme Court, 1997)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
United States v. Tate
633 F.3d 624 (Eighth Circuit, 2011)
Martin v. Aubuchon
623 F.2d 1282 (Eighth Circuit, 1980)
Keating v. Martin
638 F.2d 1121 (Eighth Circuit, 1980)
Fred E. Christian v. Curtis C. Crawford
907 F.2d 808 (Eighth Circuit, 1990)
Madewell v. Roberts
909 F.2d 1203 (Eighth Circuit, 1990)
United States v. Michael W. Critzer
951 F.2d 306 (Eleventh Circuit, 1992)
Wardell Washington v. Travis K. Sorrows
107 F.3d 876 (Eighth Circuit, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Long v. Hoag, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/long-v-hoag-moed-2025.