McNea v. Garey

434 F. Supp. 95, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12972
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 30, 1976
DocketC76-920
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 434 F. Supp. 95 (McNea v. Garey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McNea v. Garey, 434 F. Supp. 95, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12972 (N.D. Ohio 1976).

Opinion

ORDER PARTIALLY GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR A PERMANENT INJUNCTION

MANOS, District Judge.

This action for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief is initiated under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and 28 U.S.C. § 2201. Jurisdiction is based on 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The matter in controversy exceeds $10,000.

On August 31, 1976 William T. McNea, Robert Nowakowski, and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association [C.P.P.A.], on behalf of themselves and for all Cleveland policemen, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin and restrain the defendants 1 from:

“1. Ordering any further reports in connection with any investigation concerning political activity based directly or indirectly on any of the Orders, Rules, Civil Service Rules, or Charter provisions mentioned in the Complaint.
“2. Filing any charges against any member of the Cleveland Police Department based in whole or in part on any of the Orders, Rules, Civil Service Rules, or Charter provisions mentioned in the Complaint.
“3. Causing any transfer, change of duty or assignment of plaintiffs McNea or Nowakowski or of the officers or trustees of the Cleveland Patrolmen’s Association.
“4. Taking any form of detrimental action against plaintiffs in retaliation for the filing of this lawsuit.”

A temporary restraining order was issued by this Court on September 3, 1976, enjoining the defendants from enforcing “rules of conduct and discipline for officers, members and employees, of the Division of Police in the Department of Public Safety,” Numbers 47 and 75. 2 On September 9 and 10 a *101 hearing on the motion for a permanent injunction was held. 3

I.

THE ALLEGATIONS

The plaintiffs argue that the City of Cleveland imposes an unconstitutional restraint on all Cleveland policemen’s First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, and association through the City’s promulgation of the following: “rules of conduct and discipline for the officers, members and employees of the Division of Police in the Department of Public Safety,” [Rules] Numbers 47 and 75, Section 140 of the Charter of the City of Cleveland [Section 140], Cleveland Civil Service Commission Rule 9.10-16 [9.10-16], General Police Order 40-75 [40-75], and General Police Rule 103 [103]. 4 The plaintiffs contend that these provisions are unconstitutionally vague and overbroad on their face and as applied to plaintiffs McNea, Nowakowski and Faragher, and that the defendants knowingly, willfully and maliciously enforced the allegedly unconstitutional provision by taking disciplinary action predicated on those rules.

The plaintiffs specifically allege: that the City demoted Patrolman Robert Nowakow-ski under Rules 47 and 75, Section 140 and 9.10-16, for the alleged political activity of attending a meeting of policemen during his non-working hours; that Nowakowski, along with 60 other policemen were required, under duress, to answer 13 questions concerning their activity at the meeting in question; and that Nowakdwski’s personal life was investigated by order of defendants Garey and Carney in order to gather information to support the Department’s decision to demote him. 5 The plaintiffs further claim that Policeman William McNea has been notified that he may be deprived of 160 hours of accrued furlough time by the Department, under Rules 47 and 75, Section 140 and 9.10-16 for alleged political activity, and that McNea has been subject to continued harassment by the Department because of his association with the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association. The intervening plaintiffs allege that Richard Faragher has been threatened with departmental charges under 40-75 for visiting the offices of the President of Cleveland City Council and other public officials.

.The provisions which plaintiffs attack read as follows:

Original Rule 47 reads as follows:
“Officers and members are forbidden to carry on political or religious discussions between themselves or with citizens; and shall exercise their right of suffrage quietly. They shall avoid any and all disparaging conversation detrimental to the Division of Police or its officers and members.”

Rule 47 was amended on February 25, 1976 to read:

“The following rules contained therein are to be considered effective immediately, replacing Rule 47 of the present manual of rules—
“Personnel of the Division of Police shall not—
“3.14 : . . Carry on political or religious discussions between themselves or with citizens, while on duty. “3.15 . . . Engage publicly in any disparaging conversation detrimental to the division of police or its personnel.
“Commanding officers shall familiarize themselves with these rules and shall cause them to be read at roll calls for the next three days.
*102 “The issuance of this portion of the revised manual of rules, regulations and procedures has been requested by the Law Department in connection with a legal action pending in Federal Court and shall not be construed as having any political overtones.”

See, Exhibit B attached to the Complaint.

Rule 38 pertinently reads:

“Officers and members of the Division of Police shall not engage in any other gainful occupation; and for purposes of discipline they shall be considered to be on duty at all times.” See, Exhibit D attached to the Complaint.

Rule 75 pertinently reads:

“Officers and members .... shall be connected in no way, directly or indirectly, with any political organization.” See, Exhibit C attached to the Complaint.

Section 140 reads:

“No person in the service of the City shall discharge, suspend, lay off, reduce in grade or in any manner change the official rank or compensation of any person in such service, or promise or threaten to do so, for withholding or neglecting to make any contribution of money or service or any valuable thing for any political purpose. No person in the service of the City shall use his official authority to influence or coerce the political action of any person or body, or to interfere with any nomination or election to public office.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
434 F. Supp. 95, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12972, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcnea-v-garey-ohnd-1976.