Robinson v. Huerta

123 F. Supp. 3d 30, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 111342, 2015 WL 5011411
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedAugust 24, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 2014-0451
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 123 F. Supp. 3d 30 (Robinson v. Huerta) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robinson v. Huerta, 123 F. Supp. 3d 30, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 111342, 2015 WL 5011411 (D.D.C. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Granting Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss

RUDOLPH CONTRERAS, United States District Judge

In August 2005, pro se Plaintiff Russell Robinson (“Mr. Robinson”) was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine, and conspiracy to launder money. The Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) subsequently determined *34 that Mr. Robinson had served as an airman or been aboard an aircraft to facilitate the offenses of conviction, and on March 3, 2008, it issued an order revoking his commercial pilot, mechanic, and ground instructor certificates pursuant to 49 U.S.C. §§ 44709 and 44710. An administrative law judge (“ALJ”) with the National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) affirmed the revocations in September 2008, and Mr. Robinson filed the instant action in March 2Ó14, arguing that the FAA and NTSB’s lifetime revocation of his certificates was unlawful. Now before the Court is the FAA’s motion to dismiss the’complaint pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) for lack of subject-matter' jurisdiction and failure to state a claim for relief. Upon consideration of the parties’ submissions, the Court will grant the FAA’s motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On April 11, 2003, Mr. Robinson was indicted for participating in a multi-defen-dant drug and money laundering conspiracy in the U.S. Virgin Islands. See Indictment, Def.’s Ex. A at 39- 58, ECF No. 10-1. 1 A superseding indictment returned on September 30, 2004, charged that Mr. Robinson, “a private pilot, would transport ... co-conspirators to various destinations in the Caribbean for the purpose of delivering the illegal proceeds of the drug sales so that it could be laundered and/or picking up drugs or arranging drug shipments into the Virgin Islands.” Superseding Indictment, Defi’s Ex. A at 3, ECF No. 10-1. After a jury trial, Mr. Robinson was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocainé in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841, conspiring to import cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 963, and money laundering conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Compl. at 4, ECF No. 1; Judgment, Def.’s Ex, A at 34, ECF No. 10-1.

As a consequence of Mr. Robinson’s convictions, on March 3, 2008, the FAA issued an Order of Revocation, which revoked Mr. Robinson’s Commercial Pilot Certificate, Mechanic Certificate, and Ground Instructor Certificate. FAA Order, Pl.’s Ex. 2 at 14-15, ECF No. 1. The order explained that pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 44710, the circumstances of Mr. Robinson’s convictions — that he served as an airman or was aboard a U.S. civil aircraft to facilitate the offenses of conviction — “mandate the revocation of any and all airman certificates and ground instructor certificates held by you.... ” Id at 15. The order further stated that “the Administrator has determined that safety in air commerce or air transportation and the public interest require the revocation ...” Id. at 14.

Mr. Robinson appealed the FAA’s March 2008 order to the NTSB’s Office of Administrative Law Judges, and an ALJ affirmed the revocation on September 11, 2008. See Compl. at 4; ALJ Order, Def.’s Ex. C, ECF No. 10-3. Mr. Robinson then appealed the ALJ’s September 2008 affir-mance to the NTSB, but on October 31, 2008, the NTSB dismissed the appeal, finding that Mr. Robinson had withdrawn it. NTSB Order of Dismissal, Oct. 31, 2008, Def.’s Ex. D, ECF No. 10-4.' Mr. Robinson petitioned for reconsideration of the September 2008 order on November 14, 2012, and the petition was denied as an untimely appeal on May 2, 2013. NTSB Order, May 2, 2013, Defi’s Ex. B at 1-2, ECF No. 10-2; see also Compl. at 4.

*35 On March 20, 2014, Mr. Robinson filed the instant action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief “that requires FAA to remedy constitutional and statutory violations as a result of its application of 49 U.S.C. § 44710 to Plaintiff-” Compl. at 2. In his complaint, Mr. Robinson alleges that the FAA’s March 2008 order of revocation “miseharacterized the facts alleged at trial,” and that .the lifetime revocation of his certificates violated his rights under the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Id. at 4-5, 9. More specifically, Mr. Robinson claims that the actions of the FAA and NTSB have violated his “Constitutionally protected interests in travelling (privately in General Aviation Aircraft) by air,” his “Constitutional Right to Contract so as to earn a sufficient and adequate lawful[ ] living,” his “public right of transit through navigable airspace” pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 40103(a)(2), and his Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Id. at 5-10. He further asserts that “the provisions of 49 U.S.C. § 44710 et seq. are Unconstitutional on its face, as it pertains to its lifetime revocation of Robinson’s certificates,” and he asks that the Court issue a declaratory judgment finding that the application of § 44710 to Mr. Robinson’s certificates is cruel and unusual in violation of the Eighth Amendment, and that the Court order the FAA and NTSB “to withdraw their revocation order(s)” and permit him to exercise his right to travel by air and to perform repair work. Id. at 9-10.- Mr. Robinson also asks that the Court take judicial notice of all trial and sentencing transcripts, “which will clearly demonstrate that there is no evidence," none whatsoever, that,Robinson transported any Drugs, or acted as a pilot in command or was aboard an aircraft in any capacity that transported drugs.” Compl. at 9.

The FAA now moves to dismiss Mr. Robinson’s complaint in its entirety, arguing that this Court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction over Mr. Robinson’s claims and that his constitutional claims fail as a matter of law. 2 Def.’s Mot, to Dismiss, ECF No. 10.

II. LEGAL STANDARDS

A. Rule 12(b)(1) Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subjéct-Matter Jurisdiction

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Koloa Rum Company v. Noem
District of Columbia, 2026
Robinson v. Elwell
Virgin Islands, 2023
Shume v. Pearson Education Inc.
District of Columbia, 2018
Shume v. Pearson Educ. Inc.
306 F. Supp. 3d 117 (D.C. Circuit, 2018)
Quaid v. Kerry
161 F. Supp. 3d 70 (District of Columbia, 2016)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
123 F. Supp. 3d 30, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 111342, 2015 WL 5011411, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-huerta-dcd-2015.