Parsons v. United States Dept. of Justice

211 F. Supp. 3d 994, 2016 WL 5476284, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133953
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedSeptember 29, 2016
DocketCase No. 14-10071
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 211 F. Supp. 3d 994 (Parsons v. United States Dept. of Justice) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parsons v. United States Dept. of Justice, 211 F. Supp. 3d 994, 2016 WL 5476284, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133953 (E.D. Mich. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

ROBERT H. CLELAND, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Now before the court is a Motion to Dismiss filed by Defendants United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). (Dkt. # 37.) The matter is fully briefed, and the court finds that a hearing is unnecessary. See E.D. LR 7.1(f)(2). For the reasons discussed below, the court will grant Defendants’ Motion.

I. BACKGROUND

As alleged in the complaint, “Juggalos” are “fans of the musical group Insane Clown Posse (“ICP’Ot1] and other bands on ICP’s independent record label, Psychopathic Records.” (Dkt. # 1, Pg. ID 2.) ICP’s music is generally referred to as “horrorcore hip hop” which “uses very harsh language to tell nightmare-like stories. ...” (Id.) Juggalos often paint their faces to look like clowns, and wear distinctive symbols, including the “hatchetman” logo, which depicts "a person with wild hair wielding a butcher’s meat cleaver. (Id.) The complaint alleges that “[m]any Jugga-[997]*997los embrace ‘Juggaloism as a philosophy, an identity, [and] a way of life. ICP’s lyrics, through their description of a ‘Dark Carnival,’ address themes of good and evil, heaven and hell, and acceptance and tolerance of others.” (Id. at Pg. ID 6.) These Juggalos observe “the moral code” of the Carnival, and see themselves as social outcasts, seeking support from one another. (Id. at Pg. ID 7.) “Based on these shared values, Juggalos strongly identify with one another and often refer to themselves as a ‘family.’ ” (Id.) According to Plaintiffs, Jug-galos gather to listen to ICP’s performances, share ideas expressed in the ICP performances, and express their support for the band. (Id. at Pg. ID 6.)

A. The 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment

Plaintiffs’ allegations stem from the National Gang Intelligence Center’s “2011 National Gang Threat Assessment: Emerging Trends” (“NGTA”).2 The NGTA states that its purpose is to “examine emerging gang trends and threats posed by criminal gangs to communities throughout the United States.” Id. at 5. “It supports US Department of Justice strategic objectives 2.2 (to reduce the threat, incidence, and prevalence of violent crime) and 2.4 (to reduce the threat, trafficking, use, and related violence of illegal drugs).” Id. The NGTA further states that its data are based on federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement reporting, as well as information supplied by correctional institutions. Id.

In a section entitled “Non-Traditional Gangs,” the 2011 NGTA notes that “[t]he expansion of hybrid gangs—non-traditional gangs with multiple affiliations—is a continued phenomenon in many jurisdictions nationwide.” Id. at 22. The NGTA further observes that hybrid gangs are fluid in structure and size, present in at least 25 states, and that hybrid gang members commit a multitude of street and violent crime, including drug trafficking. Id. The report identifies Juggalos as a hybrid gang subset, and notes that Juggalo gangs are rapidly expanding into many communities. Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, and Utah are the only states that recognize Juggalos as a gang, but the NGTA reports that “at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo sub-sets.” Id.

Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft and vandalism. However, open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity, such as felony assaults, thefts, robberies, and drug sales.

Id. at 22-23. The NGTA further reports that “Juggalo criminal activity has increased over the past several years and has expanded to several other states. Transient, criminal Juggalo groups pose a threat to communities due to the potential for violence, drug use/sales, and their general destructive and violent nature.” Id. at 23. The NGTA also noted that Juggalos are known to have members in the U.S. Army and Air Force. Id. at 36-37.

B. Alleged Harassment of Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Mark Parsons owned and operated a small trucking business, “Juggalo Express LLC.” (Dkt. # 1, Pg. ID 7.) His truck is decorated with a large ICP “hatchetman” logo. Parsons alleges that on July 9, 2013, a Tennessee State Trooper ordered him to stop his truck for a safety inspection. The state trooper asked Par[998]*998sons if he was a Juggalo, and told Parsons that he had detained him because of the “hatchetman” logo on the truck. {Id. at Pg. ID 8.) The trooper further informed Parsons that he believed Juggalos to be a gang because of the DOJ’s designation, and asked Parsons whether he had any axes, hatchets, or other chopping instruments in his truck. Parsons told the trooper that he did not have any such items in his truck, and an hour-long search of the truck and interrogation of Parsons revealed no weapons or contraband.

Plaintiff Brandon Bradley claims that police stopped him in order to interrogate him about his Juggalo affiliation. {Id. at Pg. ID 9.) In September 2012, a Citrus Hills, California, police officer stopped Bradley while he was biking home. Bradley had visible Juggalo tattoos and was wearing Juggalo merchandise, and avers that the officer stopped him because of Bradley’s Juggalo-related apparel—the officer assumed he was a member of a gang. The officer allegedly detained Bradley for fifteen minutes, interrogated him about being a Juggalo, and took notes regarding Bradley’s answers. Soon after the incident, an ex-Citrus Hills police officer told Bradley that he had heard about the incident, and that Bradley, an aspiring police officer, would have to get his Juggalo tattoos removed if he wanted to be a police officer because the tattoos were gang-related. Approximately a month later, a Sacramento police officer stopped Bradley, requested Bradley’s identification, and asked Bradley if he was a Juggalo. {Id. at Pg. ID 10.) The officer ran a background check on Bradley and accused Bradley of being in a gang, stating that “to be a Juggalo is to be a gang member.” {Id.) In a final incident in January 2013, Bradley was walking alone in a bike lane when a police cruiser pulled up behind him and stopped him. Two officers exited the cruiser and told Bradley that they had noticed the “hatchetman” symbol on his jacket. They ordered him to stand in front of a guardrail so that they could take pictures of his jacket, face, and tattoos. {Id. at Pg. ID 11.) They questioned Bradley regarding his Juggalo affiliation, and insisted that he was part of a gang. As a result of these encounters, Bradley often chooses not to express his Juggalo affiliation, or wear Juggalo-related apparel.

Plaintiff Scott Gandy claims that in 2012, he visited a U.S. Army recruiting station, and that at the time, he had large ICP tattoos on his chest. The recruiting officer asked Gandy whether he had any tattoos, and told Gandy that because Juggalos were on the federal government’s “gang list,” he considered Gandy’s tattoos to be gang-related.

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Bluebook (online)
211 F. Supp. 3d 994, 2016 WL 5476284, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parsons-v-united-states-dept-of-justice-mied-2016.