Sherrilyn Taylor v. Richard Taylor

649 F. App'x 737
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedMay 3, 2016
Docket15-13694
StatusUnpublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 649 F. App'x 737 (Sherrilyn Taylor v. Richard Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sherrilyn Taylor v. Richard Taylor, 649 F. App'x 737 (11th Cir. 2016).

Opinion

*739 PER CURIAM:

In this case, Plaintiff-Appellant Sherri-lyn Taylor (“Ms. Taylor”) alleges that Defendant-Appellee Richard Taylor (“Deputy Taylor”), formerly a Deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Department in Montgomery County, Georgia, arrested her without probable cause, used excessive force during the arrest, and then violated her due-process rights by failing to take her promptly before a judge. Ms. Taylor also alleges that the Sheriff, Defendant-Appellee Clarence Sanders (“Sheriff Sanders”) engaged in some of this wrongdoing or is responsible as a supervisor, and that Defendant Lynda Wammock (“Wam-mock”) is liable for initiating the baseless prosecution against Ms. Taylor. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Deputy Taylor and Sheriff Sanders and dismissed Ms. Taylor’s claims against Wammock. Ms. Taylor now brings this appeal, contending that the district court got it all wrong. After careful review, we affirm.

I. Standard of Review

We review de novo a district court’s grant of summary judgment, applying the same legal standards that governed the district court. Bradley v. Franklin Collection Serv., Inc., 739 F.3d 606, 608 (11th Cir.2014). Summary judgment is appropriate when “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). We consider the record and draw all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to Ms. Taylor, the non-moving party. See Bradley, 739 F.3d at 608.

II. Factual Background

This case centers on Deputy Taylor’s investigation and arrest of Ms. Taylor for allegedly making harassing and threatening phone calls to Wammock, a long-term acquaintance. We present the facts regarding Wammock’s two complaints to the Sheriffs Department, the circumstances of Ms. Taylor’s arrest, and the events following her arrest.

A. Wammock’s Complaints

On September 18, 2011, Wammock complained to the Sheriffs Department that Ms. Taylor had been “calling her from a restricted number several times a day. cussing her out and threatening her.” When Deputy Taylor went to Wammock’s home to investigate the complaint, Wammock identified Ms. Taylor as the caller. Wammock claimed that she recognized Ms. Taylor’s voice because they had known each other for twenty years. Deputy Taylor observed that there were numerous calls from a restricted number on Wam-mock’s caller identification. Deputy Taylor then spoke with Ms. Taylor at her home about the allegations, stating that he wanted “the truth” and “he knows how Lynda Wammock is.” Ms. Taylor denied making the calls and offered her phone to Deputy Taylor for inspection. Deputy Taylor did not look at Ms. Taylor’s phone, and he left without making an arrest.

Three days later, on September 21, 2011, Wammock contacted the Sheriffs Department again to report that she had continued to receive harassing phone calls from Ms. Taylor. 1 Specifically, Wammock claimed that Ms. Taylor threatened to burn her house down in one of the calls. After taking Wammock’s complaint, Depu *740 ty Taylor went to Wammock’s residence and again confirmed that she had received calls from a restricted number on her caller identification. Thereafter, Deputy Taylor informed Sheriff Sanders of Wam-mock’s allegations and his intent to obtain a warrant for Ms. Taylor’s arrest. Sheriff Sanders permitted Deputy Taylor to seek a warrant. Deputy Taylor testified before a judge, who issued warrants to arrest Ms. Taylor for making harassing phone calls and terroristic threats. 2

B. Ms. Taylor’s Arrest

After obtaining the arrest warrants, Deputy Taylor and a state trooper went to Ms. Taylor’s home that same day, September 21. Ms. Taylor was not there, but, when told of the Deputy’s visit by. her daughter, she called the Sheriffs Department and arranged to meet Deputy Taylor at a local convenience store called T-Byrds later that afternoon.

Ms. Taylor arrived at T-Byrds in a car with three other people. A state trooper was there when Ms. Taylor arrived, and Deputy Taylor arrived soon after. According to Deputy Taylor, he asked Deputy David Williamson to accompany him because of Ms. Taylor’s propensity to fight.

In the parking lot of T-Byrds, Ms. Taylor exited her car to meet Deputy Taylor as he walked over. 3 Deputy Taylor mentioned something of Wammock’s most recent allegation. 4 Ms. Taylor repeatedly denied making any phone calls to Wam-mock. Ms. Taylor again offered her phone to Deputy Taylor, who refused to look at it. Then, according to Deputy Taylor, he told Ms. Taylor that he had warrants for her arrest and that she “know[s] what we’ve got do.” Although Ms. Taylor denies that Deputy Taylor ever mentioned arrest warrants, Ms. Taylor’s subsequent statement, “it ain’t right that you gonna lock me up for something I ain’t done now,” makes it clear that she understood that Deputy Taylor was there to arrest her.

Things escalated quickly from that point. Deputy Taylor raised his voice and told Ms. Taylor, “You better get in the back of that goddamn car right now.” Ms. Taylor interjected, pleading that she had not done anything wrong. Deputy Taylor talked over her, yelling at this point, swearing that he had had “enough.”

*741 Deputy Taylor then grabbed Ms. Taylor, slammed her into the side of the patrol car, and handcuffed her. Deputy Taylor was around 6'1" tall, weighed approximately 280 pounds, and had the nickname “Truck.” Ms. Taylor claims that she was not resisting in any way when Deputy Taylor, without warning, grabbed her and slammed her head face first into the trooper’s patrol car several feet away. According to Deputy Taylor, he grabbed her by the upper half of her arms, spun her body so that she was facing the patrol car, and pushed her against the side of the car so he could handcuff her. Deputy Taylor claims that Ms. Taylor took steps backward immediately before he subdued her. Deputy Taylor handcuffed Ms. Taylor while she was pushed against the patrol car.

As a result of the arrest, Ms. Taylor suffered a spiral fracture in her right hand, multiple contusions to her right hand, forearm, and right upper eyelid, and a chest wall contusion,

C. Ms. Taylor’s Detention and Eventual Release

After her arrest on September 21, Ms. Taylor was first taken to the Sheriffs Office for booking and then to the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia. Montgomery County did not have its own jail and had contracted with Irwin County for the provision of jail services.

At the time of her arrest, Ms. Taylor was on parole for a prior felony conviction.

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Bluebook (online)
649 F. App'x 737, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sherrilyn-taylor-v-richard-taylor-ca11-2016.