Taylor v. City of Baton Rouge

39 F. Supp. 3d 807, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117919, 2014 WL 4177275
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedAugust 25, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-00579-BAJ-RLB
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 39 F. Supp. 3d 807 (Taylor v. City of Baton Rouge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. City of Baton Rouge, 39 F. Supp. 3d 807, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117919, 2014 WL 4177275 (M.D. La. 2014).

Opinion

RULING AND ORDER

BRIAN A. JACKSON, Chief Judge.

Before the Court is a Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 26), filed by Plaintiff Ernest Taylor (“Taylor”), seeking a default judgment against Defendants the City of Baton Rouge, Carl Dabadie, Jr.1 (“Dabadie”), Mary Roper2 (“Roper”), Lisa Freeman3 (“Freeman”), Patrick Wenne-mann4 (“Wennemann”), James Thomas5 (“Thomas”), and Jane Do6’ (“Doe”) (collectively “Defendants”). Taylor further seeks an order from this Court: (1) permanently enjoining the City of Baton Rouge from enforcing City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana Code of Ordinances § 13:95.3 (“13:95.3”); (2) directing the City of Baton Rouge to return Taylor’s firearms; 7 and (3) scheduling a hearing, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b), for the purpose of determining the amount of monetary damages to which Plaintiff is entitled. Defendants oppose the motion. (Doc. 28.) Oral argument was held on June 18, 2014. (Doc. 30.) Jurisdiction is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331. For the reasons stated below, Taylor’s Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. 26) is GRANTED.

I. Background

A. Taylor’s Allegations

On September 3, 2013, Taylor filed this lawsuit against Defendants under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”); the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Const, amend. II; Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Const, amend. IV; Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Const, amend. V; Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Const, amend. XIV, § 1; and Louisiana Constitution Article I, §§ 2, 3, 4-5, and 11, La. Const. Art. I, §§ 2, 3, 4-5, II. Taylor’s Complaint alleges that on October 13, 2012, three officers8 with the Baton Rouge Police Department illegally searched his vehicle, seized three guns that he lawfully possessed, and arrested him for violating § 13:95.3.

Taylor alleges, inter alia, that § 13:95.3 unlawfully infringes upon his and other citizens’ Second Amendments9 right to [811]*811keep and bears arms, made applicable to the State of Louisiana and its political subdivisions by the Fourteenth Amendment. Accordingly, Taylor seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, monetary damages, and attorneys’ fees, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988.

B. Procedural History

According to the record, counsel for Defendants signed a Waiver of the Service of Summons on behalf of Defendants on October 22, 2013. (Doc. 3.) On October 27, 2013, Taylor filed the executed Waiver of the Service of Summons into the record. (Doc. 3.) The Waiver signed by counsel for Defendants states,

I also understand that I, or the entity I represent, must file and serve an answer or a motion under Rule 12 within 60 days from 09/09/2013, the date when this request was sent .... If I fail to do so, a default judgment will be entered against me or the entity I represent.

(Doc. 3.)

Despite executing the waiver, Defendants failed to file an Answer to the Complaint (“Answer”) or a motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Rule”) 12 by November 8, 2013; nor did Defendants request an extension of time to file an Answer or a motion under Rule 12. Indeed, it is uncontested that Defendants did not attempt to file an Answer until approximately five months later.

On April 16, 2014, after several months of inaction by Defendants, Taylor filed a Motion for Preliminary Default. (Doc. 15.) Rule 55(a) requires the Clerk of Court to enter a default against any party that has “failed to plead or otherwise defend ...” Fed.R.Civ.P. 55(a). Accordingly, on April 16, 2014, the Clerk of Court granted Taylor’s motion, and issued an Order of Default against Defendants. (Doc. 17.)

Only after the preliminary default was entered against Defendants did Defendants file an Answer. (Doc. 19.) Indeed, the record shows that Defendants did not file an Answer until April 17, 2014, five months and nine days after Defendants’ November 8, 2013 deadline.10 (Doc. 19.) To add further insult, Defendants did not request leave of Court to file an out-of-time Answer; nor did Defendants attempt to provide the Court with an explanation for their untimely pleading.

On June 18, 2014, the Court heard oral argument on, inter cilia, the instant motion. (Doc. 30.) During the hearing, counsel for Defendants failed to establish good cause for Defendants’ failure to plead or otherwise defend the instant lawsuit.11 [812]*812During the hearing, counsel for Defendants also failed to address the factors set out by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Lindsey v. Prive Corp., 161 F.3d 886, 893 (5th Cir.1998) 12; nor did counsel for Defendants address the merits of Taylor’s claims.13 Accordingly, the Court deferred its ruling on the motion and granted both parties leave of Court to file post-hearing memoranda addressing the merits of Taylor’s claims, specifically, the constitutionality of § 13:95.3. (Doc. 30.)

11. Standard of Review

The duty to respond to a complaint is triggered by the service of the summons or lawful process, and the failure to do so may result in the entry of default or default judgment under Rule 55. Fagan v. Lawrence Nathan Assocs., 957 F.Supp.2d 784, 795 (E.D.La.2013) (citing Rogers v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., 167 F.3d 933, 937 (5th Cir.1999)). Rule 55 provides, in pertinent part:

(a) Entering a Default. When a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or otherwise, the clerk must enter the party’s default.
(b) Entering a Default Judgment.
(1) By the Clerk. If the plaintiffs claim is for a sum certain or a sum that can be made certain by computation, the clerk—on the plaintiffs request, with an affidavit showing the amount due—must enter judgment for that amount and costs against a defendant who has been defaulted for not appearing and who is neither a minor nor an incompetent person.
(2) By the Court. In all other cases, the party must apply to the court for a default judgment. A default judgment may be entered against a minor or incompetent person only if represented by a general guardian, conservator, or other like fiduciary who has appeared.

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39 F. Supp. 3d 807, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117919, 2014 WL 4177275, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-city-of-baton-rouge-lamd-2014.