Shemwell v. Cannon

352 F. Supp. 3d 690
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 15, 2019
DocketNO. 4:18-CV-474-A
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 352 F. Supp. 3d 690 (Shemwell v. Cannon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shemwell v. Cannon, 352 F. Supp. 3d 690 (N.D. Tex. 2019).

Opinion

JOHN McBRYDE, United States District Judge

Came on for consideration the motions of defendants City of Arlington ("City") and Jacob Cannon ("Cannon") to dismiss. The court, having considered the motions, the responses of plaintiff, La'Shadion Shemwell, the reply of Cannon, the record, and applicable authorities, finds that the motions should be granted.

I.

Background

On June 10, 2018, plaintiff filed his complaint in this action. Doc.1 1. In it, plaintiff alleges:

On June 10, 2016, plaintiff participated in a rally/protest in response to a grand jury decision not to indict an Arlington police officer who had shot and killed a black college student. Doc. 1, ¶ 10. Plaintiff appeared at the rally with his AK-15 rifle. Id. ¶ 11. Protesters marched from Arlington Police headquarters into the Levitt Pavilion, where a concert was ongoing. Id. ¶¶ 11-12. Plaintiff approached the stage and spoke to performers, who allowed the protesters to use their platform. Id. ¶ 12. As the protesters were leaving, an officer requested that plaintiff "sling" or reposition his rifle. Plaintiff refused. Id. ¶ 13. Officers handcuffed plaintiff without incident and put him in a squad car. Id. ¶ 16. Officers drove plaintiff to jail. Id. ¶ 17. Plaintiff was booked and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Id. ¶ 18. Plaintiff went to trial on September 26, 2016, but the case ended in a mistrial. Id. ¶ 20. Plaintiff went to trial a second time on November 1, 2016, and was acquitted. Id. ¶ 21.

Plaintiff asserts claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Cannon for false arrest (Count I) and malicious prosecution (Count III), and against City for failure to train, supervise, and discipline (Count II) and false arrest (Count III). He also asserts state law claims for malicious prosecution (Count IV), negligence (second Count IV), gross negligence (Count V), assault and battery (Count VI), and intentional infliction of emotional distress (Count VII) against Cannon.

By order signed June 22, 2018, the court struck the provision of the complaint naming "Police Officer Does 1-5" and ordered that plaintiff could seek leave to amend his complaint in the event he was able to identify any of the unnamed officers. Doc. 10. He has not done so.

By order signed September 10, 2018, the court noted that there was no record in the file of the action of proper service of summons and complaint on defendants, City, Cannon, and Sharen Wilson ("Wilson"). Doc. 11. In fact, summonses had not been issued. The court ordered that plaintiff file by September 20, 2018, either proof of proper service or an instrument *696containing a satisfactory explanation as to why such proof could not be filed. The order cautioned that failure to comply with the order might result in the dismissal of plaintiff's claims without further notice, as authorized by Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m). Id. The record reflects that summonses for defendants were issued the next day. Doc. 12.

Wilson filed a motion to dismiss, Doc. 13, which the court granted. Doc. 32. The court directed entry of final judgment as to the dismissal of the claims against Wilson and there has been no appeal therefrom. Doc. 33.

II.

Grounds of the Motions

Cannon maintains that plaintiff's claims are barred by limitations. In addition, he asserts among other things that plaintiff has failed to allege any plausible causes of action, and, even if he has, Cannon is entitled to both qualified and official immunity.

City urges that plaintiff has not alleged facts sufficient to identify any custom or policy that caused him harm. Further, the malicious prosecution claim as pleaded by plaintiff does not state a plausible claim for relief.2

III.

Applicable Legal Principles

A. Pleading

Rule 8(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides, in a general way, the applicable standard of pleading. It requires that a complaint contain "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief," Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2), "in order to give the defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests," Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (internal quotation marks and ellipsis omitted). Although a complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations, the "showing" contemplated by Rule 8 requires the plaintiff to do more than simply allege legal conclusions or recite the elements of a cause of action. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 & n.3, 127 S.Ct. 1955. Thus, while a court must accept all of the factual allegations in the complaint as true, it need not credit bare legal conclusions that are unsupported by any factual underpinnings. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) ("While legal conclusions can provide the framework of a complaint, they must be supported by factual allegations.").

Moreover, to survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the facts pleaded must allow the court to infer that the plaintiff's right to relief is plausible. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937. To allege a plausible right to relief, the facts pleaded must suggest liability; allegations that are merely consistent with unlawful conduct are insufficient. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
352 F. Supp. 3d 690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shemwell-v-cannon-txnd-2019.