Monica Taylor v. City of Mobile Police Department, et al

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Alabama
DecidedMay 8, 2026
Docket1:23-cv-00328
StatusUnknown

This text of Monica Taylor v. City of Mobile Police Department, et al (Monica Taylor v. City of Mobile Police Department, et al) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Monica Taylor v. City of Mobile Police Department, et al, (S.D. Ala. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA SOUTHERN DIVISION

MONICA TAYLOR, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) vs. ) Civil Action No. 23-00328-KD-N ) CITY OF MOBILE POLICE ) DEPARTMENT, et al, ) ) Defendants. )

ORDER

This action is before the Court on pro se Plaintiff Monica Taylor’s “Combined Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment (Rule 59(e)) and Motion for Relief from Judgment (Rule 60(b)) (doc. 34). 1 Upon consideration, and for the reasons set forth herein, the Motion is DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction as to the Opinion entered October 30, 2024 by the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and otherwise is DENIED. I. Background Taylor filed a Complaint in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama against the City of Mobile Police Department, Officer Bradley Latham and Officer William Smith alleging constitutional violations (doc. 1-1). The City removed the action and asserted that it was the proper defendant instead of the City of Mobile Police Department (doc. 1). The City filed its Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative Motion for More Definite Statement (doc. 4). Taylor filed a response which the Magistrate Judge construed as First Amended Complaint filed once as a matter of course under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1) (doc. 6). Taylor clarified that the “Civil Rights

1 Because Taylor’s Motion for Relief from Judgment is denied, the action is not reopened and the objection to the Report and Recommendation (doc. 35) is MOOT. Violation complaint” was brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and that the alleged constitutional violations resulted from her arrest by Officers Latham and Smith.2 The City and Officers Latham and Smith moved to dismiss the First Amended Complaint pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), Taylor responded to the Motion, and Defendants replied (docs. 11, 12, 14-17). The Magistrate Judge entered a Report and Recommendation to grant

Defendants’ Motion (doc. 20). Taylor filed an objection (doc. 21) and Defendants filed a Response to the Objection (doc. 22). The Magistrate Judge recommended that the Rule 12(b)(6) motion be treated as a motion for summary judgment, and that summary judgment be granted in favor of Defendants as to Taylor’s claims brought pursuant to state law and § 1983 because they were time barred under the applicable two-year statute of limitations. The parties had submitted documents which indicated the underlying arrest occurred on July 9, 2021, but Taylor did not file her Complaint in state court until August 1, 2023. Because the Magistrate Judge recommended that the motion to dismiss be treated as a motion for summary judgment, the Magistrate Judge also recommended

that the parties be permitted, within the objection period, “to submit additional evidence and argument in support of their positions on the statute-of-limitation issue” (doc. 20, p. 9). In her objection, Taylor argued that the period of limitations was six years for her state law claims of assault and battery and imprisonment. (doc. 21). See Ala. Code § 6-2-34(1). Taylor also relied upon Ala. Code § 6-2-8(a). Relevant here, the statute tolls the periods of limitation for persons who are below the age of 19 years, or insane, and allows “three years, or the period allowed by law for the commencement of an action …” after the disability of age or insanity is

2 Taylor stated that the arrest occurred on “July ninth” (doc. 6, p. 2). Subsequent documents explain that the date was July 9, 2021. She alleged that she was “thrown with complete force face first onto the pavement” and was “unconscious for several ongoing minutes” (Id., p. 3). terminated. Taylor submitted medical records in an apparent attempt to show that she had post- concussion syndrome, a traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairment, and “trouble staying on task”, among other impairments, after the arrest. Taylor did not specifically argue that the period of limitations for the § 1983 action should be tolled. Defendants filed a response in support of the Report and Recommendation (doc. 22).

On May 28, 2024, the Court entered an Order which modified and adopted the Report and Recommendation (doc. 24). In sum, the Court agreed that Taylor’s claims pursuant to § 1983 were time barred and granted summary judgment as to those claims. Thus, her § 1983 claims were dismissed. The Court declined to exercise jurisdiction over her remaining state law claims, and remanded the action to the state court (Id.; doc. 25, Judgment). Taylor appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (doc. 27). She argued that this Court erred in dismissing her § 1983 claims because the “two-year statute of limitations was tolled due to her ‘impaired ability to judge time accurately’ that resulted from ‘a traumatic head injury’ she suffered during the police officers’ use of excessive force’” (doc. 31, p. 9). In

an Opinion of the Court entered October 30, 2024, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed this Court’s decision (doc. 31). The Eleventh Circuit found that Taylor had “not shown that her memory problems rendered her of unsound mind, or prevented her from filing her § 1983 action, within the two- year limitations period.” (Id., p. 12). The Eleventh Circuit explained that Taylor’s evidence showed that she had “difficulty with recalling dates as early as 2018”, which increased after the head injury on July 9, 2021, but she had success with using memory aides – a calendar and a planner and the use of an iOS device (cell phone calendar). The Eleventh Circuit also explained that during the two-year period after the arrest, Taylor “was able to defend her rights and engage in legal processes.” (Id.) Specifically, Taylor (1) filed a July 15, 2021 complaint with the Mobile Police Department about the officers’ conduct during the arrest; (2) filed a December 29, 2021 claim for payment with the City for injuries she sustained during her arrest, within the time period required by Ala. Code § 11-47-23; (3) retained several attorneys to represent her in her criminal proceedings between July 9, 2021 and December 7, 2021; and (4) then prepared bar complaints when she was not satisfied with their legal representation.

(Doc. 31, p. 12). Ultimately, the Eleventh Circuit found Taylor had not shown that her “memory problems rendered her of unsound mind or prevented her from” timely filing the § 1983 action, and thus, she had not met her burden to show tolling was warranted. II. Analysis Taylor now files a “Combined Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment (Rule 59(e)) and Motion for Relief from Judgment (Rule 60(b)) (doc. 34). The Court construes her Motion as seeking relief from the Opinion of the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit entered October 30, 2024 (doc. 31) and this Court’s Order and Judgment entered May 28, 2024 (docs. 24, 25). Pouyeh v. Pub. Health Tr. of Jackson Health Sys., 2025 WL 2319399, *3 (11th Cir. 2025) (“We liberally construe the filings of pro se litigants [.]”); Campbell v. Air Jam, Ltd., 760 F. 3d 1165, 1168 (11th Cir. 2014) (same). A. The Opinion Taylor “moves this Court to alter, amend, or set aside the judgment entered on 10/30/2024.” (doc. 34, p. 1). The “judgment” entered that date is the Eleventh Circuit’s Opinion affirming this Court’s decision.

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Monica Taylor v. City of Mobile Police Department, et al, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/monica-taylor-v-city-of-mobile-police-department-et-al-alsd-2026.