Mierop v. State

22 Misc. 2d 216, 201 N.Y.S.2d 2, 1960 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3039
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedMay 9, 1960
DocketClaim No. 34837
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 22 Misc. 2d 216 (Mierop v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mierop v. State, 22 Misc. 2d 216, 201 N.Y.S.2d 2, 1960 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3039 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

Alexander Del Giorno, J.

This is a claim to recover damages “for the wrongful acts of the State of New York, its officers, agents and employees in unlawfully arresting, detaining and falsely imprisoning the claimant herein in and about the Town of Wallkill, Orange County, New York, and at the Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital at Middletown, New York.”

Claimant testified that on August 9, 1955, at about 8:00 p.m., he went to the Orange County Fair. "While there he engaged in a game which consisted of throwing balls into a barrel, having paid a fee to play. During the course of the game, a dispute arose between claimant and the concessionaire as to whether claimant had Avon a certain prize. Upon the suggestion of the concessionaire, they proceeded toAvard a tent set up on the fair grounds and occupied by the State Troopers, and on the Avay met Trooper Ehre, avIio, after conversing with them, took them to the tent. Inside the tent, Sergeant William Hanley Avas on duty. A discussion ensued as to the ownership of the object in question, a clock, which Avas held by claimant. One of the troopers asked claimant to put the clock doAvn, but claimant refused to do so and instead threAv the clock to the ground and stepped on it. Ehre and another trooper then threw claimant to the ground, handcuffed him and sat him on a chair after claimant had resisted them for 15 minutes. Claimant asked the sergeant if he Avas Irish, whereupon, claimant testified, the latter struck him four times in the eye and face. Claimant then stood up and hit the sergeant on the chin Avith his elbow, causing the sergeant’s eyeglasses to fall. Then, while the troopers held' claimant, the sergeant struck him once on the back Avith a blackjack; Avhen claimant turned, he Avas struck in the stomach by the sergeant’s fist. Thereafter claimant Avas compelled to lie-down for one hour on the floor of the tent, Avhile Trooper Ehre Ava-s at a typcAvriter. Another trooper, Schultz, then told him to get up and sit in a chair. After 15 minutes, the troopers told claimant they Avere all going* for a ride; Avith Ehre driving and Hanley on his right, claimant was taken to the home of a Judge but never left the oar he had been driven in. Only Ehre entered the house, who stayed five minutes and then came back to the car, at Avhich time claimant Avas told they Avere taking him [218]*218to a doctor. Instead, he arrived at Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital, where he was placed in the custody of hospital officials.

There was introduced into evidence an order of commitment for observation and examination, dated August 9, 1955, signed by Justice of the Peace Harold B. Hulse. It is to be noted that although this order refers to a previous order made on August 9, 1955, there was in fact no such previous order.

There was a further order requiring an examination of claimant by two psychiatrists and directing a report to be made thereof to Judge Hulse. This order was signed by Judge Hulse on August 10, 1955. It recited that claimant, charged with disorderly conduct, was in such a state of idiocy, imbecility or insanity as to be incapable of understanding the proceedings.

A further order, signed by Judge Hulse on August 10, 1955, referring to the prior order of August 10, 1955 and based upon the recommendation and request of the superintendent of the hospital, directed that claimant be committed to the hospital for mental observation for a period of not more than 60 days.

Claimant testified that although he was told in the police tent that he was charged with disorderly conduct, he was not taken before a Judge, nor did he see Judge Hulse at any time prior to a subsequent habeas corpus proceeding.

After he was admitted to the hospital, claimant was placed in a ward with 9 or 10 others who were patients, some of whom were in strait jackets. He asked the doctor and orderly for permission to call his mother, but this was refused. There was one door to the room and the windows were barred. On the second day of his confinement he was given a uniform and allowed to walk about in the ward, but was not permitted to shower or shave; on the third day, his clothes were returned to bim and he was allowed to go to the recreation room to watch television, and on this day a doctor permitted him to call his mother. As a result of this call, an attorney visited him that night between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The following day he was allowed to go about the grounds with guards.

On August 17, 1955, he was taken to the chambers of the Special County Judge at Monroe, New York, by three orderlies, on a habeas corpus proceeding brought 'by his attorney. This hearing, he testified, lasted from 2:00 p.m. on that day to 1:00 a.m. of the following day.

An order, dated August 17, 1955, signed by Special County Judge Edward M. O ’Cormas, sustained the writ of habeas corpus granted on August 15, 1955 and discharged claimant [219]*219from custody. No appeal was taken from this order by the State.

Claimant testified that the story concerning the incident appeared in Kingston and Middletown papers; that people discussed his arrest; that since November, 1958 he has been unable to obtain employment because of his confinement in the hospital. He has no trade or usual occupation.

The sole physical result of his treatment was that his right wrist was swollen to twice its normal size because of the use of handcuffs.

On cross-examination, he denied that he became excited at the time of the incident. Admitting that he is of nervous temperament, he said that he had worked from 1955 to 1958, making knives at a factory in Ellenville, but had been discharged because of a condition from which he suffers, something “ very close ” to epilepsy.

He was convicted on October 14, 1955 of disorderly conduct as a result of the incident herein on a later complaint alleging the same facts as in the first complaint.

In an affidavit sworn to November 11, 1955, constituting the basis of an unperfected appeal from this conviction, he alleged that he “was brought before Justice Harold B. Hulsb, and arraigned at the site of the alleged crime ’ but ‘1 that prior to the completion of the arraignment your deponent was committed to Middletown State Hospital for observation by Justice Hulsb. ’ ’ He reiterated his denial, however, even in the face of this statement, that he saw Judge Hulsb that night.

On redirect, he stated that he did not know what the word “ arraignment ” means, and that he does not remember signing this affidavit.

When he was 15 or 16 years of age, he was treated for epilepsy, but was not treated again for that condition until 1958. When he left his job in 1958, it was because of epilepsy. He later saw a doctor, who recommended certain pills, the purpose of which was to regulate the effect of other medicine he was taking. He insisted that no doctor ever diagnosed his condition actually as epilepsy, but stated that at the hospital, when after two days they gave him his medicine, they kept changing the dosage of dialacetin and phenobarbital.

John J. Schick, attorney for claimant, testified that after he was retained by claimant’s mother, he interviewed the superintendent of the hospital, the State troopers and Judge Hulsb. The Judge told him that claimant had been arraigned without counsel or a doctor being present. The habeas corpus proceed[220]*220ing lasted from 2:30 p.m. on August 17 to 1:30 a.m. on August 18.

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Related

Wood v. State
28 A.D.2d 643 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1967)
Montanaro v. State
42 Misc. 2d 851 (New York State Court of Claims, 1964)
People ex rel. Schildhaus v. Warden of City Prison
37 Misc. 2d 660 (New York Supreme Court, 1962)
Tranberg v. County of Nassau
28 Misc. 2d 275 (New York Supreme Court, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
22 Misc. 2d 216, 201 N.Y.S.2d 2, 1960 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3039, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mierop-v-state-nyclaimsct-1960.