Velazquez v. State of New York

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 9, 2021
Docket7:18-cv-08800
StatusUnknown

This text of Velazquez v. State of New York (Velazquez v. State of New York) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Velazquez v. State of New York, (S.D.N.Y. 2021).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK JOSE I. VELAZQUEZ, Plaintiff, No. 18-CV-8800 (KMK)

v. OPINION & ORDER KATHLEEN G. GERBING, et al., Defendants. Appearances

Jose I. Velazquez Bronx, NY Pro Se Plaintiff Jonathan James Wilson, Esq. Maria Barous Hartofilis, Esq. New York State Office of the Attorney General New York, NY Counsel for Defendants KENNETH M. KARAS, United States District Judge: Jose I. Velazquez (“Plaintiff”), proceeding pro se, brings this Action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Kathleen G. Gerbing (“Gerbing”), Anthony Annucci (“Annucci”), Tina M. Stanford (“Stanford”), Steven Banks (“Banks”), Barbara Lao (“Lao”), Lindsy Osouna (“Osouna”), Clarence Neely (“Neely”), and Marlene Brooks (“Brooks”; collectively, “Defendants”). (See First Am. Compl. (“FAC”) (Dkt. No. 70).) Plaintiff alleges that Defendants violated his constitutional rights. (Id.) Before the Court is Lao’s Motion To Dismiss (the “Lao Motion”), (Not. of Mot. (“Lao Mot.”) (Dkt. No. 77)), and Brooks’s Motion To Dismiss (the “Brooks Motion”), (Not. of Mot. (“Brooks Mot.”) (Dkt. No. 90)), both pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). For the reasons that follow, both Motions are granted in part and denied in part. I. Background A. Factual Background The Court summarized Plaintiff’s allegations in its February 14, 2020 Opinion & Order (“2020 Opinion”). (Op. & Order (“2020 Op.”) (Dkt. No. 66).) Thus, the Court assumes familiarity with the 2020 Opinion, and describes only the new facts alleged since it was issued.

For purposes of the instant Motions, the Court assumes that the alleged facts are true. These facts fall into two categories. The first category concerns an improper refusal to release Plaintiff on parole. These claims are in the FAC. (See FAC.) They resemble those in Plaintiff’s Complaint, (see Compl. (Dkt. No. 2)), with three differences. First, while the FAC, like the Initial Complaint, alleges that Plaintiff was detained “two months past his Conditional Release date,” (FAC ¶ 2), the FAC requests that he be paroled to the home of his sister Luz E. Velazquez (“Ms. Velazquez”), (id. ¶ 23), rather than the Faith Mission Crisis Center, (Compl. ¶ 5). Second, the FAC names only Lao and Brooks as defendants. (FAC.) Regarding Lao, the FAC alleges that she, “as [Plaintiff’s] counselor . . . is in charge of preparing records and

documents for parole hearings, appearances, and release plans,” and “is personally responsible for submitting addresses to [Plaintiff’s] parole field officers prior to his release date.” (Id. ¶ 18.) The FAC further alleges that Lao “never considered” Ms. Velazquez’s address. (Id. ¶ 23.) Regarding Brooks, the FAC alleges that she “has the statutory and regulatory authority over the facility’s Offender Rehabilitation Coordinators [such as Lao] who determine[] what re-entry programs or to what residences and to what family members prisoners may go . . . after being granted parole release.” (Id. ¶ 19.) The FAC contains no allegations regarding Gerbing, Annucci, Stanford, Banks, Osouna, or Neely. (Compare FAC with Compl.) Third, the FAC makes a new Equal Protection claim. (FAC ¶ 15.)1 Specifically, the FAC alleges that another inmate’s parole officer considered the inmate’s family members in public housing as a potential parole address. (Id.) Here, by contrast, Plaintiff’s request to reside with Ms. Velazquez was denied “on [an] unsupported basis,” because the only rationale provided was that “the same is public housing.” (Id. ¶ 14.)

The second category of alleged facts concerns unlawful parole conditions. These claims are not included in the FAC, but were submitted in Plaintiff’s letters and briefs. (See Letter from Plaintiff to Court (May 4, 2020) (“May Letter”) (Dkt. No. 71); Letter from Plaintiff to Court (Aug. 24, 2020) (“Aug. Letter”) (Dkt. No. 81); Letter from Plaintiff to Court (Sept. 23, 2020) (“Sept. Letter”) (Dkt. No. 84); Pl.’s Mot. Request in Further Opp’n to Defs.’ Mot. (“Pl.’s Mem.”) (Dkt. No. 87); Pl.’s Sur-Reply Mem. of Law in Further Supp. of FAC in Further Opp’n to Defs.’ Mot. (“Pl.’s Sur-Reply”) (Dkt. No. 93).) They resemble those in Plaintiff’s Proposed Addendum to his initial Complaint. (See Dkt. No. 22-1.) In these submissions, Plaintiff alleges that parole conditions limiting his “right to visit his grandchildren and the use of a computer and cellphone” are unconstitutional. (May Letter.)2 Regarding his grandchildren, Plaintiff alleges that his

daughter and her husband wish Plaintiff to be present around their children and consider his presence “to be in their children’s best interest.” (Id.) Regarding his use of technology, Plaintiff alleges that his employment prospects are limited because he may not have a computer or a cell phone, or access social networking websites. (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that he must access social media networks for job interviews, doctor appointments, graduations, and apartment hunting,

1 Here the Court refers to the first of the two paragraphs numbered 15. 2 Plaintiff submitted his full parole conditions. (See Sept. Letter 3–10.) In describing the September Letter, the Court refers to the ECF-generated page numbers in the upper right-hand corner. particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Aug. Letter 1.)3 He further alleges that parole officers are “very strict” and deny all requests for permission to use the internet and social media outlets unless a parolee “produce[s] a court generated document that would permit [such] use.” (Id. at 6.) Even with the permission of his parole officer, Plaintiff can under no circumstance possess a video- or photo-capable cell phone, which prevents him from conducting “day to day

business.” (Sept. Letter 1; see also id. at 6.) Plaintiff alleges that denying such access violates his First Amendment rights, in part because Plaintiff’s offense did not involve computers or telephone devices and, thus, the parole conditions are not crime-specific. (Aug. Letter 6; Pl.’s Mem. 6.) Plaintiff’s parole officer is non-party Lewis Robinson. (Aug. Letter 5.) Plaintiff alleges that Brooks has a “[s]upervising position” over “Parole Officers with the authority to impose parole conditions and restrictions [on] potential parolees.” (Pl.’s Sur-Reply 2.)4 B. Procedural History Again, the Court describes the procedural history only since the 2020 Opinion was issued. The 2020 Opinion gave Plaintiff thirty days to submit an amended complaint. (2020 Op.

24–25.) On March 3, 2020, Plaintiff wrote a letter requesting (1) reconsideration, and (2) more time to file his amended complaint. (Dkt. No. 67.) On March 19, 2020, the Court denied Plaintiff’s request for reconsideration, and ordered him to file an amended complaint by April 20, 2020. (Dkt. No. 68.) On May 20, 2020, the Court issued an Order to Show Cause why the Action should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute. (Dkt. No. 69.) On May 29, 2020, the Court received the FAC, which is dated April 16, 2020. (FAC.)

3 In describing the August Letter, the Court refers to the ECF-generated page numbers in the upper right-hand corner.

4 In describing Plaintiff’s Sur-Reply, the Court refers to the ECF-generated page numbers in the upper right-hand corner. On June 2, 2020, the Court received a letter from Plaintiff dated May 4, 2020. (May Letter.) The May Letter stated that Plaintiff “ha[d] been finally approved by parole for his release,” and that “his release date is scheduled [for] May 6, 2020.” (Id.) Regarding the FAC, the May Letter further stated that Plaintiff’s request to be released to Ms. Velazquez’s home was “moot at this time,” due to his release. (Id.)

On June 16, 2020, Defendants wrote a letter requesting a pre-motion conference or, alternatively, a briefing schedule for their proposed motion to dismiss. (Dkt. No.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Erickson v. Pardus
551 U.S. 89 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Colon v. Coughlin
58 F.3d 865 (Second Circuit, 1995)
Koch v. Christie's International PLC
699 F.3d 141 (Second Circuit, 2012)
Grullon v. City of New Haven
720 F.3d 133 (Second Circuit, 2013)
Sykes v. Bank of America
723 F.3d 399 (Second Circuit, 2013)
Weslowski v. Zugibe
626 F. App'x 20 (Second Circuit, 2015)
Al-Qadaffi v. Services for the Underserved
632 F. App'x 31 (Second Circuit, 2016)
Tangreti v. Bachmann
983 F.3d 609 (Second Circuit, 2020)
Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc.
282 F.3d 147 (Second Circuit, 2002)
Weslowski v. Zugibe
96 F. Supp. 3d 308 (S.D. New York, 2015)
Nielsen v. Rabin
746 F.3d 58 (Second Circuit, 2014)
Bell v. Jendell
980 F. Supp. 2d 555 (S.D. New York, 2013)
Daniel v. T & M Protection Resources, Inc.
992 F. Supp. 2d 302 (S.D. New York, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Velazquez v. State of New York, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/velazquez-v-state-of-new-york-nysd-2021.