United States v. Dillard

884 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 2012 WL 3238249
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedAugust 7, 2012
DocketCase No. 11-1098-JTM
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 884 F. Supp. 2d 1177 (United States v. Dillard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Dillard, 884 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 2012 WL 3238249 (D. Kan. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

J. THOMAS MARTEN, District Judge.

This is an action by the government alleging that the defendant violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, 18 U.S.C. § 248 by sending a threatening letter to Dr. Mila Means, a physician undergoing training to provide abortion services. The court has previously denied the government’s request for injunctive relief (Dkt. 16), and denied Dillard’s motion to dismiss the action. (Dkt. 30).

Four motions are before the court. The government has moved for a trial by jury and to dismiss Dillard’s counterclaim. Dillard has moved to dismiss the action or for summary judgment, on the grounds that Dr. Means is not presently providing abortions services. Dillard also moves to amend her complaint to restate her counterclaim. For the reasons stated herein, the court grants the motions of the government, and denies the motions of the defendant.

Trial by Jury

The government has moved for a trial by jury. (Dkt. 33). The government [1180]*1180agrees that this request was not timely-under Fed.R.Civ.Pr. 38(b), which provides that a party seeking trial by jury should serve its written demand “no later than 14 days after the last pleading directed to the issue is served,” but emphasizes the strong preference accorded to trials by jury, and argues that there remains sufficient time before trial to remove any potential prejudice to the defendant.

The defendant argues that the court should deny the request, and gives particular emphasis to Judge Lungstrum’s decision in School-Link Technologies v. Applied Resources, 471 F.Supp.2d 1101 (D.Kan.2007) to strike a late request for jury trial, but the court finds that case distinctive. In that case, the court stressed that the defendant had waited 18 months after the initial round of pleading before filing its request for jury trial, the defendant offered no rationale for the delay, and indeed had not even filed a response to the plaintiffs motion to strike. Most importantly, the court stressed that even with the delay, it “would ordinarily be inclined to grant a belated request for a jury trial,” but that the case involved complex claims relating to transaction involving the sale of computer hardware. 471 F.Supp.2d at 1121.

This is not a negligence case or an employment discrimination case where the jury can be fairly easily tasked with its role as the finder of facts. Instead, this is a commercial transaction which involves a multitude of mixed questions of law and fact. Many of the issues involve complex, interrelated, and potentially confusing facts, legal standards, and remedies.

Id.

The present case, by contrast, involves a delay much shorter in the length,1 and ultimately turns on a classic factual question of whether a given communication is a true threat of violence. Courts typically resolve the existence of a true threat as a question of fact, resolved through the use of a jury verdict. See, e.g., United States v. White, 670 F.3d 498, 512 (4th Cir.2012) (“[t]he question of whether White’s communications ... were true threats ... is a jury question”).

Lastly, the defendant argues that “[tjhere is probably ... no issue more emotionally charged and divisive than the abortion issue,” and that as a result the matter “is especially ill-suited for a jury.” (Dkt. 37, at 4).

The court disagrees. First, the defendant’s concern may be appropriately addressed by careful voir dire and jury instruction, rather than by disregarding the strong preference for trial by jury. Notably, while numerous FACE decisions reflect the existence of a trial by jury, see e.g., Planned Parenthood of Columbia/Willamette v. American Coalition of Life Activists, 290 F.3d 1058 (9th Cir.2002) (finding jury verdict supported by substantial evidence), defendant has not cited a single case holding that the issue of abortion is so incendiary that the matter must be removed from a jury’s consideration. [1181]*1181Finally, defendant identifies no prejudice arising from the delay itself.

“[Ajbsent strong and compelling reasons to the contrary, a district court should exercise its discretion under Rule 39(b) and grant a jury trial.” Nissan Motor Corp. in U.S.A. v. Burciaga, 982 F.2d 408, 409 (10th Cir.1992) (per curiam). This is a high standard, and the court finds that it is not met here, notwithstanding the dilatory nature of the government’s motion.

The court finds no prejudice arising from the delay. Trial is scheduled for February 5, 2013, and the parties have ample opportunity to prepare for a jury trial. No strong or compelling reason exists to justify removing from the hands of the jury the resolution of the facts of the case.

Government’s Motion to Dismiss

Dillard has counterclaimed against the government, alleging that it has violated her rights under the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments, and that it has interfered with her access to a religious institution in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (“FACE”), 18 U.S.C. § 248. The government has moved to dismiss Dillard’s counterclaims for a lack of subject matter jurisdiction, as well as failure to state a cause of action.

The government argues that Dillard fails to cite any grounds for finding a waiver of sovereign immunity in her Answer. It contends that the counterclaim cannot be grounded on the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b)(1); 2671-2680 (2006), as that Act provides no authority for a waiver of immunity as to federal constitutional tort claims, FDIC v. Meyer, 510 U.S. 471, 478, 114 S.Ct. 996, 127 L.Ed.2d 308 (1994), or for claims of violations of state constitutional rights. Franklin Savings v. United States, 180 F.3d 1124, 1139 (10th Cir.1999). Further, it argues, nothing in FACE itself shows any intent to waive sovereign immunity, and suggests that at most Dillard might assert for malicious prosecution, but that any such claim would be unripe prior to the resolution of this action.

The government acknowledges that while Dillard might otherwise be able to assert her non-damage claims under the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. § 702), the counterclaim should still be dismissed because it is pled in only the most conclusory fashion. Accordingly, it argues that the counterclaim fails to “state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (claim must provide “more than labels and conclusions”); Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (Twombly

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
884 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 2012 WL 3238249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-dillard-ksd-2012.