Zanfardino v. City of New York

230 F. Supp. 3d 325, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15716, 2017 WL 476725
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedFebruary 3, 2017
Docket1:15-cv-8829-GHW
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 230 F. Supp. 3d 325 (Zanfardino v. City 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
Zanfardino v. City of New York, 230 F. Supp. 3d 325, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15716, 2017 WL 476725 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

GREGORY H. WOODS, United States District Judge:

While driving on the New England Thruway in Bronx County, Plaintiff Vincent Zanfardino suffered an epileptic seizure. As a result, his car collided with another vehicle, killing one of its passengers. Plaintiff was indicted by a Bronx County grand jury for second-degree manslaughter and other offenses as a result of the accident. Following trial, Plaintiff was acquitted of all charges against him. Plaintiff has now sued the City of New York, former Assistant District Attorney Allyson Meierhans, and former Detective William Wilson, asserting that the District Attorney’s office suborned perjury before the grand jury and that Defendants conducted a one-sided investigation and prosecution. Defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the complaint under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Because prosecutors are protected by the doctrine of absolute immunity under the circumstances alleged in the complaint and because Plaintiff fails to adequately plead the elements of his claims against the other Defendants, that motion is GRANTED.

[329]*329I. BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise noted, the following facts are taken from the second amended complaint, and are accepted as true for the purposes of this motion. See, e.g., Chambers v. Time Warner, Inc., 282 F.3d 147, 152 (2d Cir. 2002). On July 11, 2012 at approximately 8:00 p.m., Plaintiff was driving his car on the New England Thruway in Bronx County when he had an epileptic seizure and his car collided with another vehicle driven by Brynn Rohlf. Second Amended Complaint, Dkt. No. 47 (“Compl.”), ¶ 13. Tragically, the passenger in the rear seat of Ms. Rohlfs car was killed in the accident. Id. On July 11, 2012, New York City Police Detective William H. Wilson (“Detective Wilson”) responded to the accident scene along with several other police officers. Id. ¶ 14. Detective Wilson took photographs of the scene, the vehicles involved in the accident, the “skid and yaw marks” left by the tires of the vehicles involved in the accident and the marks those vehicles left on highway barriers, and the lanes of the roadway and entry ramps. Id. Detective Wilson also constructed an accident diagram to determine the positions of the cars at the time of the accident. Id.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on July 11, 2012, Detective Wilson went to Jacobi Hospital and spoke with Plaintiff and Ms. Rohlf, separately, about the accident. Id. ¶ 15. Among other things, Detective Wilson wanted to determine whether either of them was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Id. Neither was determined to be under the influence. Id. Plaintiff informed Detective Wilson that he suffered from epilepsy and was under the care of a doctor, taking prescribed medication for his condition. He also told the officer that his neurologist, Dr. Ronald Kanner, had “given ... Plaintiff permission to drive.” Id.

On July 17, 2012, Detective Wilson obtained Plaintiffs consent to obtain Plaintiffs medical records from both Jacobi Hospital and Dr. Kanner in order to determine whether Plaintiff had an adequate amount of anti-seizure medication in his blood, and to determine if there were any controlled substances or alcohol in his blood that would interfere with his seizure medication. Id. ¶ 16.

On July 18, 2012, the vehicle driven by Ms. Rohlf on the night of the accident was brought to the Erie Auto pound and was searched by New York City Police Officer Irene Vazquez. Id. On the floor behind the front seat in the vehicle, Officer Vazquez found two hypodermic needles, both containing liquid, and seventeen bags of heroin. Id. Officer Vazquez notified Sergeant Jose Tavares about her discovery. Id. The Accident Investigation Squad of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and Detective Wilson were also notified. Id.

On July 19, 2012, the hypodermic needles and envelopes of heroin that were found in Ms. Rohlfs vehicle were sent to the NYPD Lab for analysis by Sergeant Taveras. Id. The “items tested positive as heroin.” Id. Subsequent to the lab analysis, however, Detective Wilson “did not re-interview” Ms. Rohlf “regarding the discovery of alleged contraband” in her vehicle. Id.

On July 24, 2012, at the direction of, and accompanied by, Assistant District Attorney Allyson Meierhans (“ADA Meier-hans”), Detective Wilson applied for a search warrant to test Plaintiffs blood in order for the NYPD lab to determine whether anti-seizure medication was in his blood at the time of the accident. Id. Neither Detective Wilson nor ADA Meierhans applied for a search warrant for Ms. Rohlfs blood, despite the discovery of drugs and drug paraphernalia in her vehicle. Id.

[330]*330On July 26, 2012, ADA Meierhans directed Detective Wilson to request that the NYPD lab test Plaintiffs blood for anti-seizure medication, alcohol, and any controlled substances that would interfere with any anti-seizure medication in Plaintiffs blood. Id. That test came back negative for alcohol or drugs. Id. Neither ADA Meierhans nor Detective Wilson requested that the lab test Ms. Rohlfs blood to determine if any “illegal contraband” was in her bloodstream on the night of the accident. Id.

On October 11, 2012, Detective Wilson, acting at the direction of ADA Meierhans, visited Plaintiffs residence and obtained from him additional medical releases for his medical records which were in the possession of Dr. Kanner. Id. As Detective Wilson was leaving Plaintiffs residence, he “turned, looking over his shoulder and said to the Plaintiff in sum and substance: ‘you’d better get a lawyer.’ ” Id. Detective Wilson made this statement to the Plaintiff “solely to cause emotional upset to Plaintiff,” as Detective Wilson was aware at that time that Plaintiff “was about to be criminally prosecuted” by ADA Meierhans. Id.

On October 18, 2012, ADA Meierhans began presenting evidence to a grand jury in Bronx County which was investigating the accident involving Plaintiff. Id. ¶ 17. By that time, Plaintiff had been named as “the person against whom the investigation was pending” by ADA Meierhans. Id. Detective Wilson testified before the grand jury. Id. However, Detective Wilson did not testify “about the alleged heroin found in the car of Ms. Rohlf,” nor did ADA Meierhans elicit testimony on the topic. Id. Detective Wilson also did not testify “about the diagram created by [him] depicting Ms. Rohlfs car merging into Plaintiffs lane, thereby causing the accident,” nor did ADA Meierhans elicit testimony from him on the topic. Id. Furthermore, ADA Meier-hans did not elicit testimony from Officers Taveras, Vazquez, or any representatives of the NYPD lab regarding the heroin recovered from Ms. Rohlfs vehicle. Id.

On October 22, 2012, Ms. Rohlf testified before the grand jury. Id. Again, ADA Meierhans did not elicit any testimony from Ms. Rohlf about any contraband found in her car. Id. Nor did she question her about the “true purpose” for which Ms. Rohlf had picked up her passenger on the night of the accident. Id.

On October 23, 2012, ADA Meierhans called Dr. Kanner to testify before the grand jury. Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
230 F. Supp. 3d 325, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15716, 2017 WL 476725, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zanfardino-v-city-of-new-york-nysd-2017.