Morales v. City of North Las Vegas

272 F. Supp. 3d 1216
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJuly 26, 2017
DocketCase No. 2:10-CV-2171 JCM (LRL)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 272 F. Supp. 3d 1216 (Morales v. City of North Las Vegas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morales v. City of North Las Vegas, 272 F. Supp. 3d 1216 (D. Nev. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER

James C. Mahan, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Presently before the court is the December 14, 2016, memorandum of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding this court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of all defendants. (ECF Nos. 99, 112). The Ninth Circuit affirmed this court’s judgment as to defendant North Lás Vegas, but it also vacated the judgment and remanded as to the individual defendants. (ECF No. 112). This court now applies the Ninth’s Circuit’s holding in Castro v. Cnty. of L.A. 833 F.3d 1060 (9th Cir. 2016), cert. denied, Cnty. of L.A. v. Castro, — U.S. —, 137 S.Ct. 831, 197 L.Ed.2d 69 (2017).

In accordance with the Ninth Circuit’s decision, defendants Chief of Police Joseph Forti, Captain Dave Noahr, Chief/Assistant Chief Joseph Chronister, Lt. Dave Powell, Sgt. Jeff Rogers, Sgt. Jimmie Campbell, Classification Counselor Patricia McCafferty, Classification Technician Priscilla Teriuta, Sgt. Tim Giarmo, Lt. Danny Woolman, and Correctional Officer An[1218]*1218drew Mote (“defendants”) filed a renewed' motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 118).

Plaintiff Sergio Morales, as special administrator and as the father and heir of the estate of Sergio Hugo Morales-Pa-redes, (“plaintiff’) responded (ECF No. 130), and defendants timely replied (ECF No. 135).

I. Introduction

This action stems from the killing of Sergio Hugo Morales-Paredes (“Morales”) while being held in the pre-trial custody of the North Las Vegas Detention Center (“NLVDC”). (ECF No. 118 at 2).

On March 16, 2009, Morales was arrested near St. Christopher’s School for “trespass ... and loitering on the grounds of a playground or school where children congregate.” (Id. at 3). Both offenses are misdemeanors, in violation of Nevada Revised Statutes (“NRS”) §§ 207.200 and 207.270, respectively. Debbie Barnaby, the PE teacher at St. Christopher’s School, had called the police after Morales refused to leave the grounds of St. Christopher’s School on two separate occasions — once while the seventh-grade PE class was outside, and another while the third-grade PE class was outside. (ECF No. 118-4 at 2).

Morales was located by the police directly behind the school. (ECF No. 118-5 at 5). Morales was arrested, received his Miranda warning, and told the officers he was willing to talk to them without an attorney present. (Id.). Morales told the responding officers that he was on school grounds because he had hoped to play soccer with the children. (Id.).

After further questioning, Morales indicated that he was attracted to young girls and was at the school hoping to make contact with one. (Id.). Morales also stated that his youngest sexual partner was 10 years old. (Id.). The arresting individual, Officer Santos, indicated that it seemed Morales had some kind of mental illness or disability and was unsure if Morales was describing past occurrences or fantasies. (Id.). Officer Santos made (contact with Morales’s brother, who confirmed Morales had a mental illness and was currently off of his medication. (Id. at 6).

Morales was booked into the NLVDC for the trespassing and loitering charges that same day. (ECF No. 118 at 3). As part of the booking process he was medically screened by Sheila Black (“Black”), a nurse employed by NaphCare, Inc. (ECF Nos. 118 at 3-4, 118-6). Morales admitted to Black that he had a “history of mental illness,” for which he “[took] meds, but [could not] remember [the]’ name of [the] meds.” (ECF No. 118-6 at 14). Morales admitted he was off his medicátion at the time and was hearing voices telling him “they want to kill [him].” (Id.). Morales was willing to see a psychiatrist and go back on his medication. (Id.).

Black recommended .that Morales be housed in administrative segregation because his mental illness made him unfit for general population. (Id. at 13). Black also determined that Morales “could have a cellmate -within administrative segregation and advised that he spoke very little English.” (ECF No. 118 at 4). Over the next several days, Morales’ condition improved with the medication. (Id.).

On March 31, 2009, Armando Munoz-Ornales (“Munoz”) “was brought to the [NLVDC] by federal authorities for an immigration violation.” (Id.). During the booking process, Munoz showed signs of mental illness. (Id.). Defendant Prescilla Tenuta (“Tenuta”) is a classification officer at NLVDC. (Id.), Tenuta “noted that the ICE booking officer described Munoz-Ornelas as ‘mentally ill’ and he was sched[1219]*1219uled for a psychiatric evaluation on April 2, 2009.” (Id. at 5).

Tenuta classified Munoz for medical segregation. (Id.). Tenuta noted that Morales had no cell mate, and “[b]ecause both men were young, Spanish speaking, had no apparent gang affiliation, and had no history of violent behavior, she assigned Munoz to [c]ell 20 with [Morales].” (Id. at 5).

Morales and Munoz were confined together in a cell at roughly 11:00 p.m. on April 1, 2009. (Id.). Corrections officers checked the cell at 2:00 a.m. on April 2; both Morales and Munoz were alive. (ECF No. 118-12 at 6). At approximately 2:30 a.m., corrections officers found Morales dead. (Id.). The coroner “identified the immediate causes of death as asphyxia, manual strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and ligature strangulation.” (ECF No. 118 at 5); see also (ECF No. 118-29 at 2).

During the initial investigation, Munoz confessed to the killing. (ECF No. 118 at 5). Munoz told detectives that he was in fear for his own life because Morales had threatened to Mil him. (Id.). Munoz did not reference any suspicion that Morales was a sex offender. (Id.).

On January 30, 2012, plaintiff filed an amended complaint alleging causes of action for: (i) violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against all defendants in their official and individual-capacities; (2) wrongful death in violation of NRS 42.085 against all defendants; (3) negligent training, supervision, and retention against the city of North Las Vegas and defendants Forti, Chronister, Powell, and Woolman; and (4) municipal liability pursuant to § 1983. (ECF No. 35).

This court granted summary judgment for all individual defendants as to claim one, holding that plaintiffs § 1983 claim was barred by qualified immunity. (ECF No. 99). The court granted summary judgment for the City of North Las Vegas as to claim four, which was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit on appeal. (ECF Nos. 99, 112); As claims two and three were based on state law without an individual basis for federal jurisdiction, the court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over them. (ECF No. 99). The .Ninth Circuit vacated this, court’s decision as to the § 1983 claim against the individual defendants, and remanded for reconsideration in light of Castro. (ECF No. 112).

II. Legal Standard

The

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Bluebook (online)
272 F. Supp. 3d 1216, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morales-v-city-of-north-las-vegas-nvd-2017.