Osterweil v. Bartlett

819 F. Supp. 2d 72, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54196, 2011 WL 1983340
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedMay 20, 2011
DocketNo. 1:09-cv-825 (MAD/DRH)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 819 F. Supp. 2d 72 (Osterweil v. Bartlett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Osterweil v. Bartlett, 819 F. Supp. 2d 72, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54196, 2011 WL 1983340 (N.D.N.Y. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER

MAE A. D’AGOSTINO, District Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff pro se commenced this action challenging New York’s statutory mecha[75]*75nism by which individuals apply for permits to carry or possess firearms. Plaintiff urges that the denial of his handgun permit application violated his rights under the United States Constitution, the New York State Constitution, and the New York State Civil Rights Law.

In a Memorandum-Decision and Order dated February 24, 2010, United States District Court Judge Gary L. Sharpe granted in part and denied in part defendant’s motion to dismiss. See Dkt. No. 15. Specifically, Judge Sharpe dismissed Governor Paterson and Attorney General Cuomo as improper parties, and further dismissed plaintiffs “first three causes of action [which] seek to mount a Second Amendment attack against only state legislation,” but permitted plaintiffs claims brought pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment to proceed. See id. at 6-7. In light of the Supreme Court’s subsequent decision in McDonald v. City of Chicago — U.S.-, 130 S.Ct. 3020, 177 L.Ed.2d 894 (2010), which held that the Second Amendment applies to the states, Judge Sharpe granted plaintiffs unopposed motion for reconsideration and reinstated his Second Amendment claims. See Dkt. No. 26.

Currently before the Court are the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment.

II. BACKGROUND

Defendant, as a Schoharie County Judge, is the licensing officer in Schoharie County for pistol (firearm) permits. See Dkt. No. 33-2 at ¶ 1. On or about May 21, 2008, plaintiff submitted an application with the Schoharie County Sheriffs Department for a New York State pistol permit. See id. at ¶ 2. In this application, he listed his residence as Schoharie County, New York. See id.

Pursuant to New York Penal Law § 400.00, the Schoharie County Sheriff (“Sheriff’) conducts investigations regarding pistol permit applications. See id. at ¶ 3. Part of the investigation involves verifying information set forth in the application, receiving information from the applicant’s references, performing criminal background checks, and obtaining the applicant’s fingerprints, which are submitted to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (“DCJS”) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for further investigation into the applicant’s background. See id.

By letter dated June 24, 2008, the Sheriff advised plaintiff that he needed to come into the Sheriffs office “to correct and/or complete some information” on his application. See id. at ¶ 4. In response, plaintiff sent a letter dated June 25, 2008, stating that since he applied for a permit, he had purchased a home in another state which he intended to use as his primary residence and to now use his Schoharie County property as a vacation home. See id. at ¶ 5. In the letter, plaintiff asked whether, under the circumstances he set forth, he was still eligible for a pistol permit. See id.

On or about August 13, 2008, the DCJS advised the Sheriff that, “[d]ue to the poor quality of the fingerprint impressions received, DCJS is unable to determine whether this individual has any other criminal record in New York State.” See id. at ¶ 8. On or about July 31, 2008, plaintiffs fingerprints were rejected by the FBI because “the quality of the characteristics i[s] too low to be used.” See id. at ¶ 9. On August 18, 2010, the Sheriff requested plaintiff to come into his office to be re-fingerprinted. See id. at ¶ 10. Thereafter, on September 8, 2008, plaintiff’s fingerprints were again rejected by the FBI because of their poor quality. See id. at ¶ 11.

[76]*76In a letter dated February 18, 2009, the Sheriff advised plaintiff that he was sending his application to defendant. See id. at ¶ 13. In a February 20, 2009 letter, defendant set forth what he felt were the issues regarding plaintiffs application, i.e., the lack of quality fingerprints that could be used by the FBI and the DCJS, as well as his residency. See id. at ¶ 14. Accordingly, defendant scheduled, an appearance on March 24, 2009 to provide plaintiff and/or his attorney an opportunity to “present any arguments in support of [his] application.” See id. at ¶¶ 14-15. Specifically, defendant advised plaintiff that he “would be interested in ... any legal precedent in support of your position with regard to residency and in support of a fingerprint check waiver.” See id. at ¶ 15. Moreover, defendant informed plaintiff that he would like the Sheriff to be present to explain the fingerprint situation and to answer any questions that plaintiff or his attorney may have. See id.

In a March 3, 2009 letter, plaintiff informed defendant of special steps that could be taken with respect to persons with “worn” fingerprints and further indicated that none of these “special steps” were used by the Sheriff in his case. See id. at ¶ 16. Following a series of letters between the parties, plaintiff indicated that he did not want to make a personal appearance and provided additional arguments regarding his concerns over New York’s residency and fingerprint requirements. See id. at ¶¶ 17-24.

On May 29, 2009, defendant issued a written decision denying plaintiffs pistol permit application. See Dkt. No. 33-1 at Exhibit “21.” In the decision, defendant rejected plaintiffs argument that, since more than six months had elapsed since .he submitted his application, defendant was required to grant his application, finding “good cause” for the delay. See id. at 7-9. Although defendant found that the application was incomplete because the Sheriff was unable to perform the requisite investigation due to the poor quality of plaintiffs fingerprints, defendant held that issue in abeyance in order to address the threshold issue of whether New York law allows the issuance of a pistol permit to a nonresident in plaintiffs situation. See id. at 9-16. In denying plaintiffs application, defendant adhered to the long-standing New York precedent that a pistol permit may not be issued to nonresidents in plaintiffs situation; and, relying on both federal and New York State case law, rejected plaintiffs argument that New York’s firearm licensing law is unconstitutional. See id. at 11-16. Defendant held that “ ‘New York’s licensing requirement remains an acceptable means of regulating the possession of firearms ... and will not contravene Heller so long as it is not enforced in an arbitrary and capricious manner (see, District of Columbia v. Heller, 128 S.Ct. at 2819).’ ” See id. at 16 (internal citations and quotation omitted).

On July 21, 2009, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, plaintiff filed the present action alleging violations of his constitutional rights stemming from the denial of his New York State pistol permit application. See Dkt. No. 1. Presently before the Court are the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Summary judgment standard

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Bluebook (online)
819 F. Supp. 2d 72, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54196, 2011 WL 1983340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/osterweil-v-bartlett-nynd-2011.