Spears v. City of Tucson

125 F. Supp. 3d 903, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113042, 2015 WL 5032741
CourtDistrict Court, D. Arizona
DecidedAugust 26, 2015
DocketNo. CIV 14-2352-TUC-CKJ
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 125 F. Supp. 3d 903 (Spears v. City of Tucson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spears v. City of Tucson, 125 F. Supp. 3d 903, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113042, 2015 WL 5032741 (D. Ariz. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER

Cindy K.-Jorgenson, United States District Judge

Pending before the Court is Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction (Doc. 6). Plaintiff seeks declaratory relief and nominal damages. Defendants have filed a Response (Doc. 31) and Plaintiff has filed a Reply (Doc. 33). Also pending is Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss Case as Moot or Motion for Summary Judgment (Doc. 29). Plaintiff has filed a Response (Doc. 35) and Defendants have filed a Reply (Doc. 37). The parties presented oral argument to the Court on May 18, 2015.

I. Factual Background

Roy- Spears (“Spears”) is the named Plaintiff in this case. Spears claims Defendants’ policy of enforcing trespass law when a property is stated to be private without obtaining more information violated his constitutional right to free speech. (Compl. ¶ 67). Spears seeks injunctive and declaratory relief, as well as nominal damages.

Tucson Medical. Center (“TMC”) owns the commercial subdivision commonly referred to as Tucson Medical Park, Block 2 (“Park”). The Park houses, offices of various medical providers. (Compl. ¶ 5). The City of Tucson, Arizona (“City”), Roberto Villaseñor (“Villaseñor”), and C. Burnett (“Burnett”) (collectively “Defendants”) assert the recorded 1968 Plat of the Tucson Medical Park - shows the entire Park as private property, depicts no internal roadways, and makes no mention of North Wyatt Drive or East Famess Drive. In addition, Defendants suggest three other plats (Book 27, p. 48; Book 29, p. 51; Book 38, p. 68) describe Wyatt Dr. and other interior streets appearing on the , plat as private streets. (Defendant’s Reply to Plaintiff’s Reply Statement of Undisputed Facts Regarding Plats, “Def. Reply S.O.F.”, Doc. 38, p. 3; Ex. P4-P6). The original 1968 Plat is recorded at Book 18, Page 49, Pima County Recorder’s Office. (Def. Reply S.O.F., pg. 3; Ex. PI) An unnamed drainage way and an.easement for the use of the public along a different street (Seneca Street) was dedicated by TMC in the dedication section of the 1968 Plat. Id.

Spears asserts the commercial subdivision is better represented by a different annotated plat, the Complaint alleges the plat is recorded at Book 19, page 43, by the Pima County Recorder. (Compl. ¶ 24; Plaintiffs Motion for Prelim. Injunction “PI. M.P.Inj.”, Doc. 6, Ex. D). This plat shows Wyatt Dr., Farness Dr. and easements. (PI. M.P.Inj., Ex. D). The annotated plat indicates it is not the official plat, that it is furnished for reference only and does not constitute a survey. Id.

A Roadway Use Permit, executed on October 18, 1977, and recorded at Book 5633, Page 0858, granted the non-exclusive right to use the roadways of Wyatt Dr. and Knight Dr. to TMC employees, invi[907]*907tees, and the public at large. (Compl. 1130). The permit grants this right as set forth in exhibits attached to the Roadway Use Permit. Id. The permit and attached exhibits describe these areas in surveyor’s terms; it does not include a map or make reference to the existing 1968 plat, (PI. M.P.Inj., Ex. H) Defendants assert the Roadway Permit is not mentioned in any. of the recorded plats. (Def. Reply S.O.F., p. 3). Plaintiff asserts that this document granted a public entitlement as public thoroughfares to Wyatt Dr. and Farness Dr. (Compl. ¶ 31).

The building on Parcel No. 631 of the Park, commonly known as 2255 North Wyatt Dr., is leased to Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona, Inc. (Compl. ¶26). The Sanger Center operates this location. Id.

On September 16, 2013, Spears and others went to the sidewalk at the intersection of Wyatt Dr. and Farness Dr., approximately 75 feet from the Sanger Clinic. (Compl. 1143-44). Spears alleges he was there to share his views on abortion with his intended audience. (Compl. ¶ 44). Spears and the other persons were approached by a security guard who characterized- the sidewalk as private property, off-limits to the general public, and asked Spears and the others to leave the area and move to an alternate location. (Compl. ¶ 46). Spears asserts ■ they were asked to leave because df their message regarding abortion. (Compl. ¶ 47).

Spears asserts he declined to leave because he was standing on what appeared to be a public sidewalk. (Compl. ¶ 48). Tucson Police Department (“TPD”) Officer Burnett was dispatched to Wyatt Dr. at the request of a TMC security supervisor, Kevin Loeffler, who sought to have Spears and other protesters on Wyatt Dr: removed from the sidewalk. Defendant’s Statement of Undisputed Facts in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment “Def. S.O.F.”, Doc. 30-1, p. 4-5). Loeffler stated to Burnett -the sidewalks and s streets were private property and were not publicly maintained. Id. at 5. Burnett requested TMC produce documentation to establish that the sidewalk along Wyatt Dr. was indeed private property. Id. TMC’s Director of Security, Bill Fleming, provided records from the Pima County Assessor’s Office depicting all streets within the TMC Medical Park as privately owned by TMC. Id.

Burnett also contacted his supervisor, TPÍ) Lieutenant Reese. Id. Defendants assert Reese confirmed with the' City’s Streets and Transportation Department that the streets and sidewalks within the Medical Park, including Wyatt Dr,,' were private property. M at 4. Spears asserts, however, that it was only confirmed that the streets were owned by TMC. Burnett then advised Spears and those gathered with him on Wyatt Dr. that they were trespassing on private property. (Compl. 1151-52). Spears contends he explained to Burnett that the sidewalk was public domain and that he had a right to speak on that sidewalk. (Compl. ¶ 51). Spears further states that Burnett advised’ the group they would be arrested for criminal trespass if they did not leave and that they could not return to that sidewalk to conduct expressive activities again.. (Compl. ¶ 51, 52). Spears and the other persons with him agreed to leave and Spears did not return to the sidewalk near the Sanger Center for fear of arrest. (Compl. ¶62).

Spears proposes that not only does the City retain easements on'the TMC property, but that.the roads were designed as thoroughfares connecting seamlessly to the transportation grid. .(Compl. ¶ 42). Spears alleges, there are no signs, gates, or any other markers identifying Wyatt Dr., Farness Dr. or the public sidewalks within the [908]*908Medical Park as anything other than public thoroughfares. (Compl. ¶ 35).

In an October 10, 2013 letter to Villaseñor and the Tucson City Attorney’s Office, Spears, through counsel, demanded that the City allow Spears the freedom to speak and display signs about abortion on Wyatt Dr. .(PI. M.Pl.Inj., Ex. Q). The letter alleged TPD’s actions, requiring Spears vacate his post on Wyatt Dr., on September 13, 2013 violated his First Amendment rights. Id. Spears indicated in the October 2013 letter that the Wyatt Dr. sidewalk is a public forum and contested the City’s purported policy of banning his speech there. Id.

Defendants declare TPD’s actions were based on the only information available to them at the time. This information included supported evidence that Wyatt Dr. was privately owned, which resulted in TPD acting on the City’s longstanding policy of enforcing state trespass laws where a trespass claim is reasonably substantiated. (Declaration of Roberto Villaseñor, Doc. 30-2, ¶ 6).

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Bluebook (online)
125 F. Supp. 3d 903, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113042, 2015 WL 5032741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spears-v-city-of-tucson-azd-2015.