Sopp v. Gehrlein

232 F. Supp. 881, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6574
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 10, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 1044
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 232 F. Supp. 881 (Sopp v. Gehrlein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sopp v. Gehrlein, 232 F. Supp. 881, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6574 (W.D. Pa. 1964).

Opinion

WILLSON, District Judge.

In this civil action plaintiff Margaret Sopp invokes the jurisdiction of the Court under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. The plaintiff charges the five named defendants with violation of her civil rights as protected in the statute cited in that they under color of law in their official capacities as officials of the City of Erie deprived plaintiff of her civil liberties and immunities guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment. The complaint is unnumbered, but divided into two parts under I and II. At the conclusion of I, it is averred as follows:

“Chester J. Miller was acting chief of police and while acting under color of law ordered and directed the arrest, detention, and physical and mental abuse of the plaintiff.
“Herman Nowak was a sergeant, of the City of Erie police force, and while acting under color of law, filed the false and fraudulent information against the plaintiff, arrested her at her place of employment, communicated the slanderous and libelous charges to Plaintiff’s employer and fellow workers, forcibly and publicly removed her from her place of employment forcibly confined and de[882]*882tained her in the City of Erie jail incommunicado, and further abused her while so confined.
“Donald W. Gunter was a pólice officer of the City of Erie police force, and, while acting under color of law, fingerprinted and photographed Plaintiff and slandered and abused her while so doing.
“Michael J. Kinecki was the police magistrate of the City of Erie, and, while acting under color of law, without probable cause, falsely and maliciously issued the warrant for Plaintiff’s arrest, mistreated and abused her when she was brought before him, and falsely and needlessly imprisoned her.
“Arthur E. Gehrlein was acting ,as the official handwriting expert for the City of Erie police force, and, while acting under color of law, falsely accused Plaintiff of the crime charged against her and issued libelous statements concerning her alleged guilt.”

Plaintiff is a mature woman and alleges that she has been happily married for many years. She is of the white race.

On page three of the complaint under part II plaintiff recites her damages and again avers that the defendants acting in concert without just or probable cause or provocation, and under color of their authority as such law enforcement officials caused plaintiff to be slandered and among other things to be arrested, fingerprinted, and to be falsely and fraudulently accused of the most degrading sexual crime, i. e. solicitation to commit sodomy, .and finally, in subheading (e) to have .said charges communicated to her employer and her fellow workers causing Tier to lose her job, and under (f) it is said that the charges have been spread ■on the arrest dockets of the City of Erie .and the Erie County Prison.

Defendant Michael J. Kinecki has filed sl timely motion to dismiss the complaint. He also joins the other defendants in a Motion for Summary Judgment under Rule 56(b) and (c) of the Rules of Civil Procedure. Depositions in support of the motions have been filed, as well as an affidavit from each defendant. Mrs. Sopp’s counteraffidavit attached to her counsel’s brief also has been duly considered. Counsel have been heard orally on the motions. At the argument it was conceded as appears in the complaint that there is no diversity of citizenship, and that this complaint must stand or fall on the allegations invoked as coming within the purview of the Civil Rights Act. On behalf of the police magistrate Michael J. Kinecki, who issued the warrant on which plaintiff was arrested, counsel contend that there are allegations of fact in the complaint which would justify the conclusion that the defendant Kinecki acted without probable cause. He is charged with falsely and maliciously issuing the warrant for plaintiff’s arrest, and with mistreating and abusing the plaintiff, yet there is nothing pleaded except conclusions, says counsel; and this Court agrees. As to the other defendants, counsel says the affidavits and depositions also indicate that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact in this case. It is to be observed first that the allegations are not precise with respect to factual averments. An inspection of the complaint shows that it is averred that Chester J. Miller, the Chief of Police, ordered and directed the arrest, detention, and physical and mental abuse of the plaintiff, but there is no allegation as to exactly what he did in the way of physical or mental abuse, or in what respect he acted under color of law. The same can be said as to the remaining allegations in the complaint relating to the other officers. It is charged for instance that Arthur E. Gehrlein, who was acting as the official handwriting expert for the City of Erie police force, and while acting under color of law, falsely accused plaintiff of the crime charged against her and issued libelous statements concerning her alleged guilt without particularly indicating exactly what Gehrlein did with respect to causing plaintiff’s arrest.

[883]*883A careful reading of the affidavits submitted and of the depositions and especially of the depositions of Frederick R. Filburn and Ilarlan J. Litteral, who were Postal Inspectors, and Richard V. Scarpitti, the Assistant District Attorney and afterwards the District Attorney of Erie County, indicates that the investigation was commenced on the complaint of plaintiff herself. It was undertaken by the city officials in conjunction with the Postal Inspectors. Two city detectives were assigned to investigate the case. The affidavit of the defendant Herman Nowak indicates that he was assigned in the regular course of duty to investigate receipt of obscene letters by one Nancy Wilson. He communicated with Postal Inspector Filburn, who requested assistance in making a complete investigation of the case. Filburn had been working on the case and had gathered some evidence. Handwriting samples reported to be those of Margaret Sopp were taken to Mr. Gehrlein for the purpose of identification. Mr. Gehrlein advised the detectives that the letters addressed to Nancy Wilson and signed “Maggie Sopp” were written by the same person, Margaret Sopp, who had given a sample of her handwriting to Postal Inspector Filburn. Mr. Gehrlein said he would testify to that in Court.

The detectives were then taken to see the District Attorney, Mr. Scarpitti. They outlined the evidence for him and asked for his opinion. According to the affidavits and depositions of Mr. Scarpitti, he examined the law on the subject and indicated to the detectives that he had a prima facie case and directed that they proceed to serve a warrant whereupon the detectives went to Aider-man Kineeki’s office and swore to the information charging Margaret Sopp with the offense as suggested by the District Attorney. Defendant Nowak’s affidavit said he swore to the information for the reason that he believed the charges to be true at the time he was acting upon orders of the District Attorney of Erie County and those of his superior officers. And other affidavits and depositions indicate that in this case a routine criminal investigation was undertaken with the credible evidence pointing to the guilt of the plaintiff. As Mr. Scarpitti,. the District Attorney, stated in his. deposition:

“* -x- -x- j advised that there was probable cause and that there-was a prima facie case, which there-is with a corpus delicti, plus an expert.”

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Bluebook (online)
232 F. Supp. 881, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6574, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sopp-v-gehrlein-pawd-1964.