Melendres v. Arpaio

154 F. Supp. 3d 845, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 453, 2016 WL 51225
CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedJanuary 5, 2016
DocketNo. CV-07-2513-PHX-GMS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 154 F. Supp. 3d 845 (Melendres v. Arpaio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Melendres v. Arpaio, 154 F. Supp. 3d 845, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 453, 2016 WL 51225 (D. Ariz. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

Honorable G. MURRAY SNOW, United States District Judge

Pending before the Court is the Motion for Summary Judgment of Retired Executive Chief Brian Sands. (Doc. 1214.) Defendant Joseph Arpaio, in his official capacity as Sheriff of Maricopa County, and the named putative civil contemnors, Chief Deputy Gerard Sheridan, Lieutenant Joseph Sousa, and Deputy . Chief John Ma-cIntyre, join in Sands’ Motion. (Doc. 1569.) For the following reasons, the Court denies the Motion.

DISCUSSION

I. Legal Standard

The Court grants summary judgment when the movant “shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). In' making this determination, the Court views the evidence “in a light most favorable to the non-moving party.” Warren v. City of Carlsbad, 58 F.3d 439, 441 (9th Cir.1995). “[A] party seeking summary judgment always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of [the record] which it believes demonstrate the absence- of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The party opposing summary judgment “may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of [the party’s] pleadings, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e); see Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); Brinson v. Linda Rose Joint Venture, 53 F.3d 1044, 1049 (9th Cir.1995). Substantive law determines which facts are material, and “[o]nly disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “A fact issue is genuine ‘if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.’” Villiarimo v. Aloha Island Air, Inc., 281 F.3d 1054, 1061 (9th Cir.2002) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

II. Analysis

A. Laches

Sands argues that “Plaintiffs’ contempt claim against [him] is barred because it was not timely raised” and therefore seeks summary judgment under the doctrine of laches. (Doc. 1214 át 2.)

“Laches is an equitable time limitation on a party’s right to bring suit, resting on the maxim that one who seeks the help of a court of equity must not sleep on his rights.” Jarrow Formulas, Inc. v. [850]*850Nutrition Now, Inc., 304 F.3d 829, 835-36 (9th Cir.2002) (internal citations omitted). “Traditionally, laches is invoked when witnesses have died or evidence has gone stale.” Trustees For Alaska Laborers-Constr. Indus. Health & Sec. Fund v. Ferrell, 812 F.2d 512, 518 (9th Cir.1987). The application of laches “depends upon the facts of the particular case.” Brown v. Cont'l Can Co., 765 F.2d 810, 814 (9th Cir.1985).

“Because laches is an equitable remedy, laches will not apply if the public has a strong interest in having the suit proceed.” Jarrow, 304 F.3d at 840; cf. Coal, for Canyon Pres. v. Bowers, 632 F.2d 774, 779 (9th Cir.1980) (laches is disfavored in environmental cases); Cady v. Morton, 527 F.2d 786, 793 (9th Cir.1975) (same). “Citizens have a right to assume” that law enforcement officials “will comply with the applicable law.” Bowers, 632 F.2d at 779. “The public has an interest in compliance ... that should not be impaired lightly.” Cady, 527 F.2d at 793.

“The decision to apply laches is primarily left to the discretion of the trial court.” Bowers, 632 F.2d at 779. “Because the application of laches depends on a close evaluation of all the particular facts in a case, it is seldom susceptible of resolution by summary judgment.” Couveau v. Am. Airlines, Inc., 218 F.3d 1078, 1083 (9th Cir.2000). “To establish laches a defendant must prove both an unreasonable delay by the plaintiff and prejudice to itself.” Id.

1. Reasonableness of Plaintiffs’ Delay

On December 23, 2011, the Court entered an order enjoining the MCSO “from detaining any person based solely on knowledge, without more, that the person is in the country without lawful authority.” Ortegar-Melendres v. Arpaio, 836 F.Supp.2d 959, 992 (D.Ariz.2011) aff'd sub nom, Melendres v. Arpaio, 695 F.3d 990 (9th Cir.2012). The Court held that the MCSO may enforce state law or any federal crime, but not federal civil violations. Id. at 993. Federal crimes include entering the United States other than at a legal border crossing, remaining and willfully failing to register or be fingerprinted after thirty days, and filing a fraudulent application. Id. at 970. Federal law does not criminalize unauthorized presence in :the country. Id. at 971. Thus, belief or knowledge that a person is an “illegal”' alien (present in the country without authorization)-does not provide MCSO deputies with a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed' any state or federal crime. Detaining persons believed or known to be present without authorization — without a reasonable suspicion of criminality — violates the Fourth Amendment of the.United States Constitution. Id.; see also Melendres v. Arpaio, 695 F.3d 990, 1001 (9th Cir.2012) (“[B]écause mere unauthorized presence is not a criminal matter, suspicion of unauthorized presence alone does not give rise to an inference that criminal activity is ‘afoot'.’’”).

In July 2012, Sheriff Arpaio testified that the MCSO’s “LEAR” policy, which required deputies to detain individuals- believed to be in the country without lawful authority, remained in effect: “[W]e still had the authority, pursuant to a legitimate arrest, to determine that person was here illegally. And then if there was no state charge to book that person into jail, we would turn that person over to ICE.” (Trial Tr. at 502:14-17, Doc. 572 at 225.)

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Bluebook (online)
154 F. Supp. 3d 845, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 453, 2016 WL 51225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/melendres-v-arpaio-azd-2016.