Whitfield v. BD. OF CTY. COM'RS OF EAGLE CTY.

837 F. Supp. 338
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedNovember 9, 1993
Docket90-C-1541
StatusPublished

This text of 837 F. Supp. 338 (Whitfield v. BD. OF CTY. COM'RS OF EAGLE CTY.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Whitfield v. BD. OF CTY. COM'RS OF EAGLE CTY., 837 F. Supp. 338 (D. Colo. 1993).

Opinion

837 F.Supp. 338 (1993)

Jhenita WHITFIELD, Janice Whitfield, Byron Boudreaux, Aguinaldo Ferriera, Sean Verne, Chad DeMoss, Michael Misukanis, individually and on behalf of all other persons similarly situated, Plaintiffs,
v.
The BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF EAGLE COUNTY, CO, A.J. Johnson, Lee Roybal, James Perry, Larry Sherrell, Jeffrey Townsend, Mike McWilliams, Charles A. Phillips, Margaret Neff, Michael Bosley, Steven Juskey, Robert Dawson, Greg Casady, Dean Everding, James F. Plank, Steven Wade, Flint Chamber, Tom Carline, D.P. Zabrinski, Jeff Beavers, Cindy Hurd, A. Curtis, Defendants.

No. 90-C-1541.

United States District Court, D. Colorado.

November 9, 1993.

*339 *340 David H. Miller, Walter W. Garnsey, David Lane, Denver, CO, for plaintiffs.

George Meyer, David Brougham, Denver, CO, for defendants.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

CARRIGAN, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Jhenita Whitfield, Janice Whitfield, Byron Boudreaux, Aguinaldo Ferriera, Sean Verne, Chad DeMoss and Michael Misukanis, individually and on behalf of other persons similarly situated, commenced this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Fed. R.Civ.P. 23 alleging deprivations of their constitutional rights. Defendants are the Board of County Commissioners of Eagle County, Colorado, Eagle County Sheriff A.J. Johnson and various former or current officers of the Sheriff's Department.[1] Sheriff Johnson and the officers have been sued in both their official and individual capacities.

Plaintiffs have filed a motion for partial summary judgment. Defendants have responded by opposing that motion and cross moving for summary judgment. Plaintiffs oppose the defendants' motion.

The issues have been fully briefed and oral argument would not materially assist the decision process. Jurisdiction exists under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND.

The facts, for purposes of the instant motions, are:

In 1987, the Board of County Commissioners for Eagle County, Colorado, applied to the United States Department of Justice for funds to finance a drug strike force. The application was accepted and the High Country Drug Task Force was created in early 1988.

The Task Force was a multi-agency team led by the Eagle County Sheriff's office with the mission of intercepting drug traffickers along Interstate Highway 70. To achieve that end, officers were provided a list of indicators, or characteristics common to drug couriers. The indicators included: rental vehicles, vehicles owned by persons not in the vehicle, vehicles with out-of-state license plates, darkened windows or curtains, temporary CB antennas, radar detectors, structural modifications, welding burns, absence of luggage, air fresheners, fast food wrappers on the floor and loose screws in the trim or lying on the floor. Although the parties disagree on the extent to which the race or ethnicity of the automobile occupants was to be relied upon, there is no dispute that race was a consideration.[2]

The interdiction program was interrupted following an incident in December 1988 when three African American men driving a vehicle with California license plates were stopped because they provided a match to the indicators. Although twenty-three pounds of cocaine was found, no charges were filed because it was concluded that the officer involved did not have a legally sufficient basis to stop the car. The program was subsequently reinstituted after Task Force officers were instructed not to rely solely on the indicators as grounds for stopping a vehicle.

Plaintiffs are motorists who were stopped by the defendants between May and December 1988, the period from inception of the program until it was interrupted for reevaluation. No drugs were found as a result of stopping any of the plaintiffs, nor is there an allegation that the plaintiffs were anything other than ordinary highway travelers. Plaintiffs allege that they were stopped on the basis of the indicators alone and that those stops violated their Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, their Fourteenth *341 Amendment right to equal protection and their First Amendment right to travel freely.

II. PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT.

Plaintiffs seek partial summary judgment as to the constitutionality of the Task Force's drug interdiction policy between May and December 1988.

Summary judgment is proper if the pleadings, depositions and affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The party opposing a properly supported summary judgment motion may not rest upon mere allegations of the complaint, but must set forth evidence of specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248-49, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510-11, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A factual dispute is material only if, under governing law, its resolution might affect the action's outcome. A factual dispute is genuine only if a reasonable fact finder could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id.

Plaintiffs bear the burden of proving that they were deprived of constitutional rights. Therefore they must support their motion with credible evidence that, if uncontroverted, would entitle them to a directed verdict. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 331, 106 S.Ct. at 2556 (Brennan, J., dissenting). If that showing is made, the burden of production shifts to the defendants to put forward evidence showing that there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Id.

Plaintiffs assert that between May and December 1988, the Task Force had a policy of detaining motorists based solely on their match with some of the drug courier indicators. Much of the plaintiffs' evidence consists of testimony elicited in hearing a motion to suppress evidence in a criminal case before this court.[3]United States v. Laymon, 730 F.Supp. 332, 336-37 (D.Colo.1990).

At that hearing, Sheriff Johnson was asked whether the indicators alone were sufficient to justify a stop. He responded, "They could at that time," referring to the period from May to December 1988. Sgt. Perry's testimony and interrogatory responses also corroborate that mere application of the indicators was considered sufficient to justify a stop.[4] This evidence, if uncontroverted, would support a finding that the Task Force had a policy of stopping motorists if they provided a match to the indicators.[5] Therefore, to withstand the plaintiffs' motion, the defendants must put forward evidence showing that there is a genuine issue of material fact concerning this allegation.

*342 Defendants rely principally on an affidavit submitted by Sheriff Johnson. Although the affidavit is vague and, at times, contradictory,[6]

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