Mir v. Zucker

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 29, 2020
Docket1:19-cv-06374
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Mir v. Zucker, (S.D.N.Y. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK JEHAN ZEB MIR, MD, Plaintiff, -against- 1:19-CV-6374 (LLS) HOWARD ZUCKER, M.D., Current ORDER OF DISMISSAL Commissioner N.Y. Department of Health-In Individual & Official Capacity, et al., Defendants. LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge: On November 1, 2019, Chief Judge Colleen McMahon dismissed this pro se action, but granted Plaintiff, who has paid the relevant fees, leave to replead his claims in an amended complaint to be filed within 30 days. On December 4, 2019, Chief Judge McMahon granted Plaintiff a 45-day extension of time. Plaintiff filed his amended complaint on January 22, 2020, along with a “Memorandum in Support of Filing First Amended Complaint” (“memorandum”). (ECF 7 & 8.) On February 10, 2020, Plaintiff filed a consent to receive electronic service of Court documents (ECF 9), a motion for permission for electronic case filing (ECF 10), and a letter in which he requests to appear before the Court “before [it] takes any further adverse action” (ECF 11, at 2), which the Court construes as a request for oral argument. On March 31, 2020, this action was reassigned to the undersigned. In his amended complaint, Plaintiff asserts claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that the defendants violated his federal constitutional rights, as well as claims under state law.1 He seeks damages and both preliminary and permanent injunctive relief.

1 Plaintiff asserts claims under state law under both the Court’s diversity and supplemental jurisdiction. But because Plaintiff is a citizen of California, and sues other citizens of California, the parties are not diverse. See 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). The Court therefore In his memorandum, Plaintiff argues (1) “there is no immunity for performing ‘ministerial acts’ and in Section 1983 action for injunctive relief and under the Eleventh Amendment for violation of federal law,” (2) the doctrine of issue preclusion does not apply to this action, and (3) the doctrine of claim preclusion does not apply to this action. (ECF 8, at 2.)

For the reasons discussed below, the Court dismisses this action. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court has the authority to dismiss a complaint, even when the plaintiff has paid the relevant fees, if it determines that the action is frivolous, see Fitzgerald v. First E. Seventh Tenants Corp., 221 F.3d 362, 363-64 (2d Cir. 2000), or that the Court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3); Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574, 583 (1999). Courts can also dismiss a complaint, or portion thereof, for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted after giving the plaintiff notice and an opportunity to be heard. Wachtler v. Cnty. of Herkimer, 35 F.3d 77, 82 (2d Cir. 1994). The Court is obliged, however, to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470

F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted, emphasis in original). BACKGROUND A. The November 1, 2019 order In her November 1, 2019 order, Chief Judge McMahon recounted Plaintiff’s previous pro se civil actions in this Court in which he challenged California and New York officials’ efforts to

understands Plaintiff’s amended complaint as asserting claims under state law solely under the Court’s supplemental jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). revoke his California and New York medical licenses; those actions are: (1) Mir v. Shah, 1:11- CV-5211 (“Mir I”), in which Plaintiff challenged his then-pending New York administrative medical disciplinary proceeding, and (2) Mir v. Bogan, No. 1:13-CV-9172 (“Mir II”), in which Plaintiff sought monetary relief from those California and New York officials who, by then, had

revoked his California and New York medical licenses. (ECF 3, at 2-4.) Chief Judge McMahon then dismissed, under the doctrine of issue preclusion, Plaintiff’s federal claims in this action against the New York officials who either prosecuted Plaintiff in his New York medical disciplinary proceeding, presided over that proceeding, revoked his New York medical license in or about January 2013, or enforced that revocation. (Id. at 7-10.) She did so because previously, in Mir II, District Judge Paul G. Gardephe of this Court held that the New York officials were immune from suit, and Plaintiff was therefore precluded from suing those same defendants and relitigating the issue of their immunity in this action. (See id.) Chief Judge McMahon also held that even if issue preclusion did not bar Plaintiff’s claims against the New York officials, she would still dismiss Plaintiff’s § 1983 claims against them because, under the

doctrine of absolute judicial immunity, they are immune from suit for damages and injunctive relief in their individual capacities, and under the doctrine of Eleventh Amendment immunity, they are immune from suit for damages in their official capacities. (Id. at 10 n.9.) Chief Judge McMahon further dismissed, under the doctrine of claim preclusion, Plaintiff’s federal claims in this action against those California officials whom Plaintiff sued in Mir II, and their successors, who were either involved in the medical disciplinary proceedings that resulted in the revocation of Plaintiff’s California medical license, enforced the revocation, reported the revocation to New York officials, or have the authority to reinstate Plaintiff’s California medical license. (Id. at 10-13.) She did so because Plaintiff was asserting, in this action, claims that he either did assert or could have asserted against the California officials in Mir II, and because Judge Gardephe adjudicated Plaintiff’s claims against those officials on the merits in Mir II. (See id. 12-13.) In addition, Chief Judge McMahon dismissed, under the doctrine of absolute witness

immunity, Plaintiff’s remaining claims against any individual who testified or otherwise gave evidence in Plaintiff’s California medical disciplinary proceedings. (Id. at 13-14.) She dismissed Plaintiff’s claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 against any private entities because he failed to allege any facts suggesting that those entities had discriminated against him because of his race, ancestry, or ethnic characteristics. (Id. at 14.) And she dismissed Plaintiff’s claims of conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3), and his associated claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1986 because Plaintiff failed to allege sufficient facts to state those claims. (See id. at 14-15.) Because Chief Judge McMahon dismissed all of Plaintiff’s federal claims, she declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over his claims under state law. (Id. at 15.)2 Chief Judge McMahon dismissed this action in its entirety, but granted Plaintiff leave to

replead his claims in an amended complaint. (See id. at 15-16.) B.

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Bluebook (online)
Mir v. Zucker, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mir-v-zucker-nysd-2020.