Rabieh v. Paragon Sys. Inc.

316 F. Supp. 3d 1103
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJune 11, 2018
DocketCase No. 5:16–cv–04256–EJD
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 316 F. Supp. 3d 1103 (Rabieh v. Paragon Sys. Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rabieh v. Paragon Sys. Inc., 316 F. Supp. 3d 1103 (N.D. Cal. 2018).

Opinion

EDWARD J. DAVILA, United States District Judge

Plaintiff Raad Zuhair Rabieh ("Plaintiff") brings this action against Defendant Paragon Systems Inc. and its employees Joseph Vegas, Jose Leuterio, Mario Ayala, Kenneth Inman, and DOES 1-20 (collectively, "Defendants"), alleging Constitutional violations and various state law claims. Presently before the Court is a motion to dismiss all of the claims in Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint ("SAC"). Dkt. No. 74. The Court finds this matter suitable for decision without oral argument and VACATES the hearing set for June 14, 2018. Civ. L.R. 7-1(b). For the reasons set forth below, Defendants' motion is GRANTED.

I. BACKGROUND

Paragon Systems Inc. ("Paragon") is a private corporation which contracts with the federal government, the State of California, and local government to provide security for state and federal offices, including at the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building at 280 South 1st Street in San Jose, California. SAC, Dkt. No. 72, at ¶ 6.

*1106Defendants Joseph Vegas, Jose Leuterio, Mario Ayala, Kenneth Inman, and DOES 1-20 are Paragon employees (collectively, "Employee Defendants"). Id. ¶¶ 7-11.

Plaintiff alleges that, on April 12, 2012 at approximately 11:30 a.m., he concluded his business at the Social Security Administration offices at the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building and proceeded to exit the building. Id. ¶ 17. Believing he was following directions, Plaintiff attempted to leave through the emergency exit instead of through the customary exit. Id. Plaintiff was then stopped by Ayala, who asked Plaintiff to accompany him inside so that an incident report could be prepared. Id. Plaintiff complied. Id.

Back inside the building, Plaintiff was handed off to Leuterio, who took Plaintiff's driver's license and directed him to sit down. Id. ¶ 18. After waiting for about 30 minutes, Plaintiff got up and asked Ayala "what is the delay." Id. ¶ 19. Ayala replied that Leuterio was gathering information from Plaintiff's driver license and instructed Plaintiff to sit back down until Leuterio was finished. Id. Plaintiff asked to speak to Leuterio's supervisor, and, when Ayala identified himself as the supervisor, Plaintiff asked to speak to Ayala's supervisor. Id. Ayala told Plaintiff that his supervisor was in San Francisco, but provided Plaintiff with his supervisor's telephone number and welcomed Plaintiff to call him. Id.

Plaintiff alleges that, as he was typing the supervisor's number into his phone, Vegas-who was in the vicinity but previously uninvolved-grabbed Plaintiff's phone out of his hand and yelled "you can't use your phone in here!!!" Id. Vegas then yelled "do you want me to arrest you?!?" Id. Then, Plaintiff claims that without further warning, Vegas twisted Plaintiff's arm behind his back, Vegas and Leuterio slammed Plaintiff's face into a wall, and Vegas, Leuterio, and Inman tackled Plaintiff to the ground. Id.

After another 15-20 minutes, Vegas and Leuterio had Plaintiff stand up and placed him in handcuffs. Id. ¶ 20. Plaintiff requested someone call the San Jose Police Department ("SJPD"). Id. Ten minutes later, two officers responded. Id.

Plaintiff alleges that he overheard one of the police officers asking Ayala if it was a crime to accidentally walk out of the emergency exit, and Ayala said no. Id. ¶ 21. One of the officers then walked over to Plaintiff and asked "have you ever been arrested?" Id. Plaintiff said no. Id.

Then, with Plaintiff still in handcuffs, one of the police officers walked Plaintiff to his patrol vehicle. Id. ¶ 22. Once at the vehicle, the officer removed the handcuffs. Id. The officer then told Plaintiff, "what I'm about to tell you is really important; we ( [the two officers] ) have nothing to do with this." Id. Plaintiff was then handed a citation for misdemeanor battery. Id. No formal charges were ever filed against Plaintiff. Id. ¶ 23.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of claims alleged in the complaint. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) ; Parks School of Business, Inc. v. Symington , 51 F.3d 1480, 1484 (9th Cir. 1995). Dismissal "is proper only where there is no cognizable legal theory or an absence of sufficient facts alleged to support a cognizable legal theory." Navarro v. Block , 250 F.3d 729, 732 (9th Cir. 2001). The complaint "must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.' " Ashcroft v. Iqbal , 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly , 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) ).

*1107III. DISCUSSION

Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff's first three causes of action (SAC ¶¶ 25-39), which claim constitutional violations under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics , 403 U.S. 388, 389, 91 S.Ct. 1999, 29 L.Ed.2d 619 (1971), or, in the alternative, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Motion to Dismiss ("MTD"), Dkt. No. 74, at 4-6.

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316 F. Supp. 3d 1103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rabieh-v-paragon-sys-inc-cand-2018.