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For the District of Connecticut
Christine Hill Zandhri,
Plaintiff
v.
Douglas Dortenzio, et al.,
Defendants
Civil Action No. 3:99 CV 1776
(CFD)
228 F. Supp. 2d 167
2002 U.S. Dist. Lexis 21048
October 31, 2002, Decided
Christopher F. Droney
United States District Judge
The plaintiff, Christine Hill Zandhri
("Zandhri"), a former police officer of the Wallingford Police
Department, brought this action against its Chief of Police, Douglas Dortenzio
("Chief Dortenzio"), its Deputy Chief of Police, Donald McNeil
("McNeil"), and two other Wallingford police officers, Lieutenant
Thomas Curran ("Curran") and Lieutenant Peter Cameron
("Cameron") pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that they violated
certain of her rights under the U.S. Constitution and Connecticut state law.
Pending is the defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment [Doc. # 27].
I.
Facts n1
In June 1995, Zandhri was hired as a police officer for the Wallingford
Police Department in Wallingford, Connecticut. After graduating from the police
academy and completing the department's "Field Training Program," she
was assigned to general police patrol duties as a probationary police officer. n2
While Zandhri was a probationary police officer, she was a subject of four
internal affairs investigations and two criminal investigations by her
department in late 1996 and early 1997. Each is related to Zandhri's domestic
disputes with her husband at the time of the investigations, each is relevant
to her claims in this case, and each is discussed below.
The first internal affairs investigation, "IA 96-44," was
conducted by defendant Lieutenant Curran and arose from a complaint made to the
Wallingford Police Department by Zandhri's then-husband, Paul Hill
("Hill"). Hill called the Wallingford police on the night of October
5, 1996 and reported that upon finishing her shift duties that night, Zandhri
went to a local bar with two of her fellow officers and then drove while under
the influence of alcohol. The ensuing investigation consisted of interviews
with Hill, Zandhri, the officers who were with her at the bar, other officers
who had talked with Zandhri that night, and a supervisory officer. The investigation did not
conclude that Zandhri had driven while under the influence of alcohol, but did
find that she had spoken to a fellow officer over a police telephone line in an
"unprofessional and inappropriate" manner in violation of police
department regulations. n3 Several of the other officers
involved-including the supervisory officer-were also found to have committed various
violations of police department regulations, related to the events of that
evening.
The first criminal investigation of Zandhri was undertaken by defendant
Lieutenant Cameron and was in response to a complaint of domestic violence made
to the Wallingford Police Department, also by Hill, on October 16, 1996. During
that night, Hill and Zandhri had argued at their home about the recent filing
of a divorce action by Hill, and a physical confrontation occurred while their
children were at home. The ensuing investigation by Cameron consisted of an
interview with Hill and an examination of his injuries, an interview of Zandhri
by Cameron and defendant McNeil, a statement under oath from Hill, n4 a
visit to Hill and Zandhri's home on October 17, 1996, and a review of an
audiotaped recording (made secretly by Hill) of the dispute. Cameron then
prepared a warrant application for Zandhri's arrest for disorderly conduct
under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-182, which was signed by a Superior Court Judge,
and Zandhri was arrested on October 18, 1996. The charge was subsequently
nolled. n5
The second internal affairs investigation, "IA 96-45,"
conducted by defendant Lieutenant Curran, also regarded Hill's October 16, 1996
complaint to the Wallingford Police Department and additionally concerned
Hill's report that domestic violence had occurred on October 5, 1996, after
Zandhri learned that Hill had reported her to the police. Curran's
investigation consisted of a review of Cameron's criminal investigation of the events
of October 16 and an additional interview with Zandhri. The investigation
concluded that domestic violence had occurred between Hill and Zandhri on
October 16, 1996 and October 5, 1996 and found that Zandhri's "conduct
under the circumstances reflects a propensity for violence attributable to the
lack of self control and prudent judgment" and that Zandhri had engaged in
conduct "unbecoming an officer" in violation of police department
regulations.
The third internal affairs investigation, "IA 96-46,"
conducted by Sergeant Robert Flis (not a defendant here), was in response to an
October 29, 1996 complaint made by Michael Scafidi, a friend of Hill's,
concerning Zandhri's telephone call to Scafidi in which she discussed an
ongoing investigation of Hill and Scafidi by the Wallingford Police Department
involving a stolen motorcycle. This internal affairs investigation found that
Zandhri had improperly given Scafidi information about the motorcycle
investigation which could have jeopardized it. The internal affairs investigation also found that
Zandhri had made a derogatory comment about a superior officer. The
investigation concluded that Zandhri had engaged in conduct "unbecoming an
officer" in violation of police department regulations.
The last internal affairs investigation, "IA 96-47," also
conducted by Sergeant Flis, concerned an October 30, 1996 complaint from a
state prosecutor regarding conversations among Zandhri, her mother, the
prosecutor, and the prosecutor's secretary about the disorderly conduct charge.
The prosecutor had claimed that Zandhri's mother called the prosecutor's office
twice and was offensive and that Zandhri had called the secretary, was
"very rude," and asked why her husband had not been arrested. The
prosecutor subsequently withdrew the complaint and the investigation was
closed.
Finally, Zandhri was the subject of a second criminal investigation
undertaken as a result of a report to the Wallingford Police Department by Hill
on January 13, 1997 regarding the domestic dispute that occurred on October 5,
1996 - the night Hill had previously reported to the police that Zandhri drove
while under the influence of alcohol, and which was the subject of the first
and second internal affairs investigations. That criminal investigation
resulted in Sergeant Flis' January 29, 1997 warrant application for Zandhri's
arrest. However, the prosecutor declined to approve the warrant application.
In January 1997, following these internal affairs and criminal
investigations, Chief Dortenzio referred Zandhri to a psychologist for a
"fitness for duty examination." The psychologist concluded in her
report that Zandhri was only "conditionally fit for duty as a police
officer." n6 A proposed agreement was drafted by the Town of
Wallingford which set forth recommendations by the psychologist as conditions
of Zandhri's continued employment as a police officer, but Zandhri refused to
sign it. n7 On March, 12, 1997, Chief Dortenzio terminated Zandhri's
probationary employment with the Wallingford Police Department.
Zandhri's complaint here alleges that, in violation of the U.S.
Constitution, the defendants subjected her to false arrest, warrantless arrest,
unlawful seizure, and malicious prosecution, and deprived her of her First
Amendment rights, right to due process, right to equal protection, and right to
privacy. In addition, Zandhri alleges false arrest, malicious prosecution,
intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional
distress, defamation, negligence, and violations of her rights to due process,
equal protection, and privacy under Connecticut common law and the Connecticut
constitution.
The defendants have filed a motion for
summary judgment on the grounds that (1) Zandhri has failed to create a genuine
issue of material fact that the defendants violated her rights under the U.S.
Constitution or Connecticut law; and (2) the defendants are entitled to
qualified immunity on the section 1983 claims. At the outset, the Court grants,
absent objection, the motion for summary judgment as to Zandhri's First
Amendment and federal right to privacy claims, as Zandhri has failed to address
these in her opposition to the defendants' motion for summary judgment. n8
The Court will address the remaining claims below.
II.
Summary Judgment Standard
In a motion for summary judgment, the
burden is on the moving party to establish that there are no genuine issues of
material fact in dispute and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of
law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242,
256, 91 L. Ed. 2d 202, 106 S. Ct. 2505 (1986). "A motion for summary
judgment may not be granted unless the court determines that there is no
genuine issue of material fact to be tried and that the facts as to which there
is no issue warrant judgment for the moving party as a matter of law."
Quinn v. Green Tree Credit Corp., 159 F.3d 759, 765 (2d Cir. 1998) (citation
and internal quotation marks omitted). A dispute regarding a material fact is
genuine "'if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a
verdict for the nonmoving party.'" Aldrich v. Randolph Cent. Sch. Dist.,
963 F.2d 520, 523 (2d Cir. 1992) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248), cert.
denied, 506 U.S. 965, 121 L. Ed. 2d 359, 113 S. Ct. 440 (1992). After discovery,
if the nonmoving party has "failed to make a sufficient showing on an
essential element of [its] case with respect to which [it] has the burden of
proof," then summary judgment is appropriate. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 91 L. Ed. 2d 265,
106 S. Ct. 2548 (1986).
The Court resolves "all ambiguities
and draws all inferences in favor of the nonmoving party in order to determine
how a reasonable jury would decide." Aldrich, 963 F.2d at 523. Thus,
"only when reasonable minds could not differ as to the import of the
evidence is summary judgment proper." Bryant v. Maffucci, 923 F.2d 979,
982 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 849, 116 L. Ed. 2d 117, 112 S. Ct. 152
(1991); see also Suburban Propane v. Proctor Gas, Inc., 953 F.2d 780, 788 (2d Cir.
1992).
III.
Discussion
A. Section 1983 Claims
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Zandhri
raises false arrest, warrantless arrest, malicious prosecution, due process,
and equal protection claims. n9 Zandhri's false arrest, warrantless
arrest, and malicious prosecution claims appear to relate to her arrest on
October 18, 1996 for disorderly conduct. n10 Additionally, though
Zandhri does not specify which conduct by the defendants is the basis for her
due process and equal protection claims, those claims appear to relate to her
arrest, her internal affairs investigations and criminal investigations, her
referral to the psychologist, and her termination. The Court will address each
claim below.
At the outset, however, the Court notes
that, although Zandhri alleges that each of the defendants committed all the
constitutional violations set forth in her complaint, Zandhri has failed to
particularize the claims as to each defendant. For example, though Zandhri
appears to claim that all of the defendants unlawfully arrested and maliciously
prosecuted her, she has not produced any evidence that Chief Dortenzio or
Curran were involved in her arrest or the criminal investigation that led to
it. Additionally, though Zandhri claims in her deposition that each of the
defendants subjected her to "extended, invasive investigations," it
is apparent that the internal affairs investigations were conducted by Curran
and non-defendant Sergeant Flis. The Court must follow section 1983's
requirement of establishing liability as to particular individuals and its
limitations as to supervisory liability. See, e.g., Provost v. City of Newburgh
et al., 262 F.3d 146, 154 (2d Cir. 2001) (stating that personal involvement of
defendants in alleged constitutional deprivations is required under section
1983 and may be established by evidence that the defendant "(i) personally
participated in the alleged constitutional violation, (ii) was grossly
negligent in supervising subordinates who committed the wrongful acts, or (iii)
exhibited deliberate indifference to the rights of the plaintiff by failing to
act on information indicating that unconstitutional acts were occurring").
Accordingly, the Court will examine the alleged constitutional violations in
the context of the evidence presented as to each particular defendant's
involvement in the different aspects of the case. However, the conclusions that
follow as to the propriety of summary judgment would apply to all the
defendants.
1. False Arrest and Warrantless Arrest n11
The Fourth Amendment to the United States
Constitution provides that no person may be subjected to unreasonable seizures.
This protection includes the right to be free from arrests without probable
cause. n12 See Weyant v. Okst, 101 F.3d 845, 852 (2d Cir. 1996).
Generally, probable cause to arrest exists "when the officers have
knowledge or reasonably trustworthy information of facts and circumstances that
are sufficient to warrant a person of reasonable caution in the belief that the
person to be arrested has committed or is committing a crime." Weyant, 101
F.3d at 852. "The quantum of evidence required to establish probable cause
to arrest need not reach the level of evidence
necessary to support a conviction." United States v. Fisher, 702
F.2d 372, 375 (2d Cir. 1983).
As noted above, Zandhri challenges the
constitutionality of her arrest on October 18, 1996 for disorderly conduct. A
person is guilty of disorderly conduct under Connecticut law:
when, with intent to cause inconvenience, annoyance
or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, such person: (1) Engages in
fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; or (2) by offensive
or disorderly conduct, annoys or interferes with another person; or (3) makes
unreasonable noise . . . .
Conn.
Gen. Stat. § 53a-182. Zandhri argues that the warrant application for her
arrest contained deliberate, material misrepresentations and omissions and
failed to establish probable cause of disorderly conduct. The defendants argue
that they are entitled to qualified immunity as to Zandhri's arrest. The Court
will address each of these points below after a general discussion of qualified
immunity.
"Qualified immunity is 'an entitlement
not to stand trial or face the other burdens of litigation.'" Saucier v.
Katz, 533 U.S. 194, 200, 150 L. Ed. 2d 272, 121 S. Ct. 2151 (2001) (quoting
Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 526, 86 L. Ed. 2d 411, 105 S. Ct. 2806
(1985)). "Government officials performing discretionary functions
generally are shielded from liability for civil damages insofar as their
conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights
of which a reasonable person would have known." Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457
U.S. 800, 818, 73 L. Ed. 2d 396, 102 S. Ct. 2727 (1982). The burden of raising
and establishing the affirmative defense of qualified immunity, either in a
motion for summary judgment or at trial, rests on the defendants. See Lee v.
Sandberg, 136 F.3d 94, 101 (2d Cir. 1997).
When considering the issue of qualified
immunity, a court first determine whether the evidence, viewed in the light
most favorable to the plaintiff, demonstrates that the officer's conduct
violated a constitutional right. See Saucier, 533 U.S. at 201. If so, the court
must then determine whether "the contours of the right [were] sufficiently
clear that a reasonable official would have understood that what he [did]
violated that right." Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 640, 97 L. Ed.
2d 523, 107 S. Ct. 3034 (1987). In essence, the Court must determine
"whether it would be clear to a reasonable officer that his conduct was
unlawful in the situation he confronted." Saucier, 533 U.S. at 202. If the
law was clearly established that the officer's conduct violated a
constitutional right, qualified immunity is inappropriate. If, however,
"the law at that time was not clearly established, an official could not
reasonably be expected to anticipate subsequent legal developments, nor could
he fairly be said to 'know' that the law forbade conduct not previously
identified as unlawful," qualified
immunity is appropriate. Harlow, 457
U.S. at 818.
As noted above, Zandhri's section 1983
claim for false arrest derives from an individual's right to remain free from
arrest absent probable cause. See Weyant, 101 F.3d at 852. This right, so
broadly defined, was clearly established at the time of Zandhri's arrest. See
Lee, 136 F.3d at 102. However, the Court's inquiry into the existence of a
clearly established right requires a more narrow scope. "[A court] must
consider whether a reasonable officer could have believed that the specific
action taken by [the defendant] was foreclosed by clearly established
law." Caldarola v. Calabrese, 298 F.3d 156, 161 (2d Cir. 2002) (emphasis
added); see also Saucier, 533 U.S.
at 201 ("This inquiry, it is vital to note, must be undertaken in light of
the specific context of the case, not as a broad general proposition.").
Accordingly, the Court must determine whether a reasonable officer could
conclude that the circumstances here established the necessary probable cause
for Zandhri's arrest. See Weyant, 101 F.3d at 852.
In Malley v. Briggs, 475 U.S. 335, 89 L.
Ed. 2d 271, 106 S. Ct. 1092 (1986), the U.S. Supreme Court held that police
officers may be entitled to qualified immunity for arrests following the
issuance of warrants by a judge or magistrate. The Court explained that the
issue is "whether a reasonably-trained officer in [the defendants']
position would have known that his affidavit failed to establish probable cause
and that he should not have applied for the warrant." Malley, 475 U.S. at
345. It concluded that the officer "will not be immune if, on an objective
basis, it is obvious that no reasonably competent officer could have concluded
that a warrant should issue; but if officers of reasonable competence could
disagree on this issue, immunity should be recognized." Id. at 341. The
Second Circuit elaborated on Malley by stating that:
A
police officer who relies in good faith on a warrant issued by a neutral and
detached magistrate upon a finding of probable cause is presumptively shielded
by qualified immunity from personal liability for damages. Golino v. City of
New Haven, 950 F.2d 864, 870 (2d Cir.1991). Police activity conducted pursuant
to a warrant rarely will require any deep inquiry into reasonableness because a
warrant issued by a magistrate normally suffices to establish that a law
enforcement officer has acted in good faith.
United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897, 922, 82 L. Ed. 2d 677, 104 S. Ct.
3405 (1984). However, "the officer's reliance on the magistrate's
probable-cause determination and on the technical sufficiency of the warrant he
issues must be objectively reasonable." Id. The court's inquiry into
reasonableness is limited to determining whether a reasonably well-trained
officer would have known that the warrants were illegal despite the
magistrate's authorization. Id. at 922
n.23. Simms v. Village of Albion, New York, 115 F.3d 1098, 1106 (2d Cir. 1997).
Thus, the issuance of a warrant for Zandhri's arrest for disorderly
conduct on October 18, 1996 creates a presumption that it was objectively
reasonable for the officers to believe that there was probable cause to support
it. See Golino v. City of New Haven, 950 F.2d 864, 870 (2d Cir. 1991),
cert. denied, 505 U.S. 1221 (1992). The Court must next examine whether there
is evidence to overcome this presumption such that a reasonable juror could
conclude that the officers' reliance on the judge's probable cause
determination and on the technical sufficiency of the warrant was objectively
unreasonable. Id. As indicated by the
Second Circuit, this inquiry involves an examination of whether a reasonably
well-trained officer would have known that the warrant was illegal despite the
judge's authorization.
A plaintiff may mount such a challenge by
making a "'substantial preliminary showing' that the affiant knowingly and
intentionally, or with reckless disregard for the truth, made a false statement
in his affidavit and that the allegedly false statement was 'necessary to the
finding of probable cause.'" Golino, 950 F.2d at 870 (quoting Franks v.
Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 155-56, 57 L. Ed. 2d 667, 98 S. Ct. 2674 (1978)).
"Where an officer knows, or has reason to know, that he has materially
misled a magistrate on the basis for a finding of probable cause, . . . the
shield of qualified immunity is lost." Golino, 950 F.2d at 871. Here,
Zandhri claims that the warrant application contained deliberate, material
misrepresentations and omissions. The Second Circuit has summarized the
appropriate analysis as follows:
A
section 1983 plaintiff challenging a warrant on this basis must make the same
showing that is required at a suppression hearing under Franks v. Delaware, 438
U.S. 154, 155-56, 57 L. Ed. 2d 667, 98 S. Ct. 2674 (1978): the plaintiff must
show that the affiant knowingly and deliberately, or with a reckless disregard
of the truth, made false statements or material omissions in his application
for a warrant, and that such statements or omissions were necessary to the
finding of probable cause. Golino, 950 F.2d at 870-71; See Franks, 438 U.S. at
171-72. Unsupported
conclusory allegations of falsehood or material omission cannot support a
Franks challenge; to mandate a hearing, the plaintiff must make specific
allegations accompanied by an offer of proof. See Franks, 438 U.S. at
171. Moreover, when police officers move for summary judgment on the basis of
qualified immunity, "plaintiffs may not unwrap a public officer's cloak of
immunity from suit simply by alleging even meritorious factual disputes
relating to probable cause, when those controversies are nevertheless not
material to the ultimate resolution of the immunity issue." Cartier v.
Lussier, 955 F.2d 841, 845 (2d Cir.1992). Disputed issues are not material if,
after crossing out any allegedly false information and supplying any omitted facts,
the "corrected affidavit" would have supported a finding of probable
cause. Soares v. State of Connecticut, 8 F.3d 917, 920 (2d Cir.1993); Cartier,
955 F.2d at 845. Velardi v. Walsh, 40 F.3d 569, 573-74 (2d Cir. 1994).
The warrant application and affidavit
submitted here by Lieutenant Cameron indicates that Zandhri's then-husband,
Paul Hill, complained to the Wallingford Police Department on October 16, 1996
regarding a fight between Hill and Zandhri. Specifically, the warrant
application states that Hill reported that he served Zandhri with divorce
papers on October 11, 1996, that there had been ongoing verbal confrontations
between Hill and Zandhri since that time, and that Hill had surreptitiously
audiotaped several of those confrontations. The warrant application further
recites that on October 16, 1996, when Zandhri discovered Hill's audiotaping of
their conversation, Zandhri became violent. Specifically, Hill reported that
Zandhri "threw" a couch out of her way in an attempt to get the
audiotape recorder, grabbed Hill by his shirt when he attempted to get away,
tried to drag Hill off a set of stairs, blocked Hill from exiting the door,
grabbed his jaw, grabbed his pager, and threw the pager at his truck as he
drove away from their home. Hill also reported that his shirt had been ripped
during this incident. The warrant application also indicates that Lieutenant
Cameron corroborated certain of Hill's allegations through his observation of fresh scratch marks on Hill's
hand and neck, Hill's torn shirt, pieces of Hill's pager in their driveway, and
his review of the audiotaped recording of the dispute between Zandhri and Hill
that indicated "banging noises consistent with a struggle when things are
being hit by struggling parties." Defs. Ex. B. Finally, the warrant
application states that Lieutenant Cameron and Deputy Chief McNeil attempted to
speak with Zandhri at her home early in the morning of October 17, 1996, that
she declined to do so at that time, and that in a phone call later that morning
she indicated that she wished to come to the department to give a statement.
In her deposition testimony, Zandhri
identified the following "misrepresentations and omissions" made by
Lieutenant Cameron in the warrant application: whether Hill had secretly
audiotaped conversations between him and Zandhri before, the description of her
"throwing" a couch out of the way rather than moving it, some of the
particular aspects of the physical confrontation between Zandhri and Hill, the
description of the time of day officers McNeil and Cameron came to her house to
interview her following the incident, and the reasons why Zandhri did not give
a statement to the officers that night. See Defs.' Ex. A., Zandhri Dep. at
121-135. However, even assuming Zandhri's testimony to be true, the Court does
not find these "misrepresentations and omissions" to be material.
See, e.g., Velardi, 40 F.3d at 573-75.
Zandhri has not created a genuine issue of fact that, after deleting the
allegedly false information and supplying any omitted facts, the
"corrected affidavit" would not have supported a finding of probable
cause. See id. That is, even with deleting the reference to previous
audiotaping of conversations, changing the time of day the investigating
officers came to Zandhri's house and the description of Zandhri moving the
couch, applying Zandhri's version of why she refused to speak to the officers
that evening, and altering the description of the struggle between Hill and
Zandhri, the "corrected" warrant application would still contain
sufficient evidence to support a finding of probable cause that Zandhri had
committed the offense of disorderly conduct.
Additionally, though the status of the
individual reporting the facts on which an officer bases his determination of probable
cause is relevant to determining whether that officer's actions were
objectively reasonable, the circumstances here do not suggest unreasonable
reliance by Cameron on Hill's report. See Caldarola, 298 F.3d at 162. Where an
anonymous informant provides information, that informant's veracity and
reliability must be carefully scrutinized. See id.; Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S.
213, 238-39, 76 L. Ed. 2d 527, 103 S. Ct. 2317 (1983); see also Florida v.
J.L., 529 U.S. 266, 270, 146 L. Ed. 2d 254, 120 S. Ct. 1375 (2000). So too with
confidential informants. See Spinelli v. United States, 393 U.S. 410, 21 L. Ed.
2d 637, 89 S. Ct. 584 (1969); Aguilar v. Texas, 378 U.S. 108, 12 L. Ed. 2d 723,
84 S. Ct. 1509 (1964). However, "if an unquestionably honest citizen comes
forward with a report of criminal activity -- which if fabricated would subject
him to criminal liability ... rigorous scrutiny of the basis of his knowledge
[is] unnecessary." Gates, 462 U.S. at 233-34. "In the case of 'an
unidentified bystander with no apparent motive to falsify,' ... the information
they provide has 'a peculiar likelihood of accuracy.'" Caldarola, 298 F.3d
at 162 (quoting United States v. Rollins, 522 F.2d 160, 164 (2d Cir. 1975)).
Here, the information that formed part of
the probable cause submitted by Lt. Cameron was obtained from an interview with
and sworn statement by the victim-Paul Hill. n13 The Second Circuit has
held that "an arresting officer advised of a crime by a person who claims
to be the victim, and who has signed a
complaint or information charging someone with the crime, has probable cause to
effect an arrest absent circumstances that raise doubts as to the victim's
veracity." Singer v. Fulton County Sheriff, 63 F.3d 110, 118 (2d Cir.
1995). "[A] police officer may rely upon the statements of victims and
witnesses to determine the existence of probable cause for the arrest, see
Martinez v. Simonetti, 202 F.3d 625, 634 (2d Cir. 2000), regardless of the
ultimate accurateness or truthfulness of the statements. See Bernard v. United
States, 25 F.3d 98, 103 (2d Cir. 1994)." Hotaling v. LaPlante, 167 F.
Supp. 2d 517, 521 (N.D.N.Y. 2001); Miloslavsky v. AES Eng'g Soc'y, 808 F. Supp.
351, 355 (S.D.N.Y. 1992) ("The veracity of citizen complaints who are the
victims of the very crime they report to the police is assumed."), aff'd,
993 F.2d 1534 (2d Cir. 1993).
While here there may have been some justified skepticism as to Hill's
complete veracity because he and Zandhri were involved in a divorce, see, e.g.,
Golino, 950 F.2d at 866 (finding relevant to probable cause determination that
warrant affidavit contained statements from a complainant with "whom the
police knew [the plaintiff] to be involved in acrimonious divorce
proceedings"), Hill's sworn statement was corroborated by Cameron's
first-hand observation of his injuries, examination of the scene of the alleged
crime (including confirmation of certain corroborating real evidence such as
Hill's torn shirt and the broken pager), and his review of an audiotape of the
events. Thus, any apparent concern that Hill was untruthful or unreliable was
addressed by the corroborative evidence. Furthermore, the defendants were
"'not required to explore and eliminate every theoretically plausible
claim of innocence before making an arrest.'" Caldarola, 298 F.3d
at 167-68 (quoting Ricciuti v. New York City Transit Auth., 124 F.3d 123, 128).
The warrant thus contains sufficient evidence by which a reasonably
well-trained police officer could conclude that there existed probable cause to
support the warrant for Zandhri's arrest for disorderly conduct. That
is, a reasonably-trained officer in the defendants' position would have
believed that the warrant application established that, "with intent to
cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof,
[Zandhri] engaged in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening
behavior" or "by offensive or disorderly conduct, annoyed or
interfered with another person" or "made unreasonable noise."
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-182. Moreover, Zandhri has not set forth any evidence indicating that
Lieutenant Cameron and others who may have been involved in the application for
the arrest warrant knew or should have known any other information which would
indicate that the warrant lacked probable cause. Under these
circumstances, the warrant sets forth an "objective basis supporting
probable cause" for Zandhri's arrest for disorderly conduct. Cartier v.
Lussier, 955 F.2d 841, 845 (2d Cir. 1992); See Simms, 115 F.3d at 1106. Accordingly,
the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity for that arrest. n14
2. Malicious Prosecution
The defendants also argue that they are
entitled to qualified immunity as to Zandhri's § 1983 claim of malicious
prosecution. A § 1983 claim based on malicious prosecution is based on the four
elements of the Connecticut common law tort for malicious prosecution. See,
e.g., Janetka v. Dabe, 892 F.2d 187, 189 (2d Cir. 1988). Under Connecticut law,
"an action for malicious prosecution against a private person requires a
plaintiff to prove that: (1) the defendant initiated or procured the
institution of criminal proceedings against the plaintiff; (2) the criminal
proceedings have terminated in favor of the plaintiff; (3) the defendant acted
without probable cause; and (4) the defendant acted with malice, primarily for
a purpose other than that of bringing an offender to justice." McHale v.
W.B.S. Corp., 187 Conn. 444, 446 A.2d 815, 817 (Conn. 1982). n15
For the reasons noted with regard
to Zandhri's false arrest claim, the Court finds that there are no genuine
material issues of fact that defendants reasonably believed they had probable
cause to commence or continue criminal proceedings against Zandhri. See,
e.g., Loria v. Gorman, 306 F.3d 1271, 2002 U.S. App. Lexis 20458, 2002 WL
31122154, at *16 n.9 (2d Cir. 2002) (applying similar analyses in examining
probable cause to arrest and probable cause to prosecute). Thus, the defendants
are entitled to qualified immunity with respect to Zandhri's section 1983
malicious prosecution claim.
3. Due Process
Zandhri also claims that the defendants
violated her right to substantive due process. n16 To succeed on her
substantive due process claim, Zandhri must show that the defendants' conduct
was "arbitrary, conscience-shocking, or oppressive in a constitutional
sense," and not merely "incorrect or ill-advised." Kaluczky v.
City of White Plains, 57 F.3d 202, 211 (2d Cir. 1995); see also County of Sacramento v. Lewis, 523 U.S.
833, 846, 140 L. Ed. 2d 1043, 118 S. Ct. 1708 (1998) ("Only the most
egregious official conduct can be said to be arbitrary in the constitutional
sense.") (internal quotation marks omitted); Natale v. Town of Ridgefield,
170 F.3d 258, 262-63 (2d Cir. 1999) ("Substantive due process is an outer
limit on the legitimacy of governmental action . . . . Substantive due process
standards are violated only by conduct that is so outrageously arbitrary as to
constitute a gross abuse of governmental authority."). The Court must be
"cognizant of the Supreme Court's admonition that 'executive action
challenges raise a particular need to preserve the constitutional proportions
of constitutional claims, lest the Constitution be demoted to . . . a font of
tort law.'" Smith v. Half Hollow Hills Central Sch. Dist., 298 F.3d 168,
173 (2d Cir. 2002) (affirming district court's dismissal of seventh grade
student's substantive due process claim against teacher who slapped him).
Though Zandhri summarily states in her
opposition to the motion for summary judgment that "the present case
obviously meets the test" for a substantive due process violation, Pl.'s
Mem. Opp'n. Mtn. Summ. J. at 16, she does not identify-either in her complaint
or in her opposition - the specific conduct by the defendants that violated her
right to substantive due process. Nonetheless, as noted above, the Court has
examined whether her arrest, the internal affairs and criminal investigations
of Zandhri, her referral to a psychologist for a "fitness for duty examination,"
or her termination amounted to a substantive due process violation either
separately or in the aggregate. n17 Of course, in the context of
considering the defendants' motion for summary judgment, the Court must construe the facts in the light most
favorable to Zandhri. See Aldrich, 963 F.2d at 523.
In light of the Court's finding that there
is no genuine issue of material fact that the defendants reasonably believed
that probable cause existed for Zandhri's arrest for disorderly conduct on October
18, 1996, the Court finds that, as a matter of law, her arrest certainly was
not a violation of substantive due process. As to the internal affairs investigations of Zandhri and
the criminal investigation of her regarding the alleged October 5, 1996 domestic
dispute with Hill, the Court also finds that Zandhri has not presented any
evidence indicating that the commencement of the investigations, the manner in
which they were conducted, or the sanctions resulting from the investigations
were arbitrary, conscience-shocking, or outrageous. Based on the
evidence presented, even when viewed in a light most favorable to Zandhri, no
reasonable juror could conclude that there was no substantial basis for each of
the investigations or that due process was violated. For example, Zandhri
conceded at her deposition that initiating the investigations was justified and
has presented no evidence that they were improperly conducted or that the
conclusions and sanctions of the investigations were baseless or capricious.
Also, two of the internal affairs investigations - IA 96-46 and IA 96-47 - were
conducted by Sergeant Flis, who is not a defendant here. Thus, his conduct is
not challenged. As to Lieutenant Curran's internal affairs investigations - IA
96-44 and IA 96-45 - the material facts are also uncontroverted; IA 96-45 was,
in the main, based on the domestic dispute of October 16, for which Zandhri's
arrest was supported by probable cause, and as to IA 96-44, Zandhri did not
dispute the inappropriateness of the telephone call that supported the finding
against her. Accordingly, these investigations do not rise to the level of a
due process violation. See, e.g., Smith, 298 F.3d at 173 ("The protections
of substantive due process are available only against egregious conduct which
goes beyond merely offending some fastidious squeamishness or private
sentimentalism and can fairly be viewed as so brutal and offensive to human
dignity as to shock the conscience.") (citations and internal quotation
marks omitted).
The Court also concludes that
Zandhri has not presented any evidence that Chief Dortenzio's referral of her
to a psychologist for a "fitness for duty examination" was arbitrary,
conscience-shocking, or outrageous. In
her deposition, Zandhri conceded that it was appropriate for Chief
Dortenzio to refer her to the psychologist for the examination and she
"voluntarily agreed to go."
Zandhri has also failed to create a genuine
issue of material fact that the circumstances of her termination, including the
request that she submit to certain conditions of employment, were "so
outrageously arbitrary as to constitute a gross abuse of governmental
authority." Natale, 170 F.3d at 262-63. Based on the considerable evidence
of questionable conduct disclosed by the internal affairs investigations and
the criminal charge, it was certainly not "outrageous" for Chief
Dortenzio to seek a psychological examination of Zandhri or to require that
treatment be a part of continued employment of her as a police officer, especially
given the nature of the duties of a member of law enforcement. Although Zandhri
may dispute whether she deserved to be terminated, that event-by itself-is also
not enough to meet the standard for a due process violation.
Finally, the Court
concludes that the undisputed facts of all of these events-the investigations,
arrest, psychological exam, and termination-even when considered in the
aggregate, and even when those facts and the disputed ones are considered in a
light most favorable to Zandhri, could not rise to the level of a substantive
due process violation.
Accordingly, Zandhri has not
presented sufficient evidence for a trier of fact to find a substantive due
process violation, and summary judgment is warranted as to that claim.
4. Equal Protection n18
The Fourteenth Amendment of the United
States Constitution provides that "no State shall ... deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This provision
is universal in its application to "all persons within the territorial
jurisdiction, without regard to any differences of race, of color, ... of
nationality[, or of religion]; and the protection of the laws is a pledge of
the protection of equal laws." Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356, 369, 30
L. Ed. 220, 6 S. Ct. 1064 (1886).
The Equal Protection Clause directs that
"all persons similarly circumstanced shall be treated alike." F.S.
Royster Guano Co. v. Virginia, 253 U.S. 412, 415, 40 S. Ct. 560, 64 L. Ed. 989
(1920). However, "the Constitution does not require things which are
different in fact or opinion to be treated in law as though they were the
same." Tigner v. Texas, 310 U.S. 141, 147, 84 L. Ed. 1124, 60 S. Ct. 879
(1940). "It is well established that a claimant under the Fourteenth Amendment's
Equal Protection Clause ... must establish intentional discrimination."
Ricketts v. City of Hartford, 74 F.3d 1397, 1407 (2d Cir. 1996).
Here,
Zandhri has presented
evidence that (1) the defendants in the case are all male; (2) her husband was
not arrested in connection with their October 5, 1996 or October 16, 1996
domestic disputes; and (3) she believed that she was treated differently than a
male officer would have been with regard to her arrest, internal affairs
investigations, criminal investigations, and her termination. n19
However, her conclusory
statement as to her belief she was treated differently is not sufficient-absent
other evidence-to create a genuine issue of material fact as to her equal
protection claim. See, e.g., Meiri v. Dacon, 759 F.2d 989, 998 (2d Cir.)
(conclusory allegations of discrimination insufficient to satisfy non-movant's
burden of setting forth specific facts demonstrating existence of genuine issue
for trial), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 829, 88 L. Ed. 2d 74, 106 S. Ct. 91 (1994);
DeLoraine v. MEBA Pension Trust, 499 F.2d 49 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S.
1009, 42 L. Ed. 2d 284, 95 S. Ct. 329 (1974) (mere conclusory statement in
affidavit that plaintiff believed he was discriminated against was insufficient
to raise genuine issue of material fact as to plaintiff's age discrimination
claim). Her remaining
evidence also fails to establish a genuine issue of material fact of
intentional discrimination on the basis of her gender. There is nothing in the
record to suggest that any other individual in Zandhri's position-a
probationary police officer-engaging in similar behavior would not have been
subject to similar investigation and discipline. To the contrary, several of
the male officers involved in the October 5, 1996 incident (regarding the
officers' activities at a local bar and in dealing with Zandhri that evening)
were investigated and disciplined with regard to their actions. The
evidence also indicates that an arrest warrant application was prepared for the
arrest of her husband in connection with their October 16, 1996 dispute, but
was rejected by the prosecutor (who is not a defendant here) after the charge
against Zandhri regarding the dispute was nolled. As to her claim that Hill's
complaints to the police department were handled differently, she conceded at
her deposition that it was appropriate
for each of them to be investigated and has not pointed to any particular
aspects of the investigations or their conclusions that create an inference of
discriminatory treatment by any of the individual defendants. For example, the
October 16, 1996 incident created probable cause for her arrest, and there has
been no evidence presented by Zandhri that various aspects of the investigation
of the incidents of October 5, 1996 were affected in any way by sexual
discrimination. Finally, the fact that the four defendants are male is - by
itself - entitled to no evidentiary weight in assessing whether the
circumstances alleged create an inference of discrimination.
In support of her equal protection claim,
Zandhri has "'done little more than cite to [her alleged] mistreatment and
ask the court to conclude that it must have been related to [her gender]. This
is not sufficient.'" Grillo v. New York Transit Authority, 291 F.3d 231,
235 (2d Cir. 2002) (race discrimination) (quoting Lizardo v. Denny's, Inc., 270
F.3d 94, 104 (2d Cir. 2001)). n20 Thus, her equal protection claim also fails
as a matter of law.
B.
State Law Claims
The Court further declines to exercise
supplemental jurisdiction over Zandhri's remaining state law claims on the
ground that it has dismissed all claims over which it has original
jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(3); Spear v. Town of West Hartford, 771
F. Supp. 521, 530 (D. Conn. 1991) ("Absent unusual circumstances, the
court would abuse its discretion were it to retain jurisdiction of the pendant
state law claims on the basis of a federal question claim already disposed of .
. . ."), aff'd, 954 F.2d 63 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 819 (1992).
IV.
Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the defendants' Motion for
Summary Judgment [Doc. # 27] is GRANTED.
The Clerk is directed to close the case.
SO ORDERED this __ day of October 2002, at
Hartford, Connecticut.
Christopher F. Droney
United States District Judge
________________________________________
1.
The following facts are based on the parties' Local Rule 9(c) Statements and
other summary judgment papers and are undisputed unless otherwise indicated.
2. New
officers of the Wallingford Police Department are required to serve a two-year
probationary period, but the record does not make clear its terms.
3.
This finding related to Zandhri's personal conversation on the police telephone
line with another officer.
4. A
written statement was also obtained from Zandhri on October 17, but she claims
it was after the application for the warrant was presented to the judge.
5.
"A nolle is, except when limited by statute or rule of practice; see,
e.g., General Statutes § 54-56b and Practice Book § 726; a unilateral act by a
prosecutor, which ends the 'pending proceedings without an acquittal and
without placing the defendant in jeopardy.'" Cislo v. City of Shelton, 240
Conn. 590, 692 A.2d 1255, 1260 n.9
(Conn. 1997) (quoting State v. Lloyd, 185 Conn. 199, 440 A.2d 867, 868 (Conn.
1981)).
6.
Zandhri disputes this fact in her Local Rule 9(c) statement, but has not
presented any evidence in contravention.
7. Zandhri disputes this fact in her Local Rule 9(c) statement, but has not presented any evidence in contravention.
8.
Additionally, though the plaintiff mentions the defendants' "unlawful,
warrantless entry" by Cameron and McNeil into her home to interview her on
October 17, 1996 in her opposition to the defendants' motion for summary
judgment and in her deposition, her complaint contains no allegations of a
Fourth Amendment violation for such entry. Accordingly, the Court does not
treat this as an alleged cause of action.
9.
Zandhri has also referred to an "unlawful seizure" claim, but does
not address it as different from her false arrest, warrantless arrest, and
malicious prosecution claims in either her complaint or her opposition to the
motion for summary judgment. Accordingly, the Court will not address it as a
separate claim.
10.
Though Zandhri claims that she was "subjected" to a second warrant
application on January 29, 1997, Zandhri makes no claim that she was actually
arrested pursuant to that warrant, which was not signed by a prosecutor or
judge. Therefore, the Court will only consider Zandhri's false arrest, warrantless arrest, and malicious
prosecution claims as to her arrest on October 18, 1996 for disorderly conduct.
11.
There is no genuine issue of material fact that Zandhri was arrested for
disorderly conduct pursuant to a warrant on October 18, 1996. See Pl.'s Mem.
Opp'n. Mtn. Summ. J. at 3. Zandhri's "warrantless arrest" claim
appears to be an allegation that the warrant application contained material
misrepresentations and omissions, otherwise known as a Franks claim. The Court
will address this aspect of the claim below.
12.
In the context of § 1983 civil actions, this constitutional tort has become known
as one for "false arrest."
13,.
Although the arrest warrant affidavit does not state that Hill gave a statement
under oath, one was made on October 17, 1996 at 12:22 a.m., before the
application for a warrant was made.
14.
This qualified immunity analysis in the context of considering summary judgment
is also subject to the requirement that the material facts upon which qualified
immunity is based be undisputed. See Cartier, 955 F.2d at 844-45. As noted in
the discussion in the text, supra, even though Zandhri disputes some of the
facts recited in the warrant application and also which would be relevant to
the knowledge of the officers involved, those disputed facts are not material
to a finding of probable cause or qualified immunity.
15.
"In order to allege a cause of action for malicious prosecution under §
1983, [a plaintiff] must assert, in addition to the elements of malicious
prosecution under state law, that there was ... a sufficient post-arraignment
liberty restraint to implicate the plaintiff's fourth amendment rights."
Rohman v. New York City Transit Auth., 215 F.3d 208, 215 (2d Cir. 2000) (citing
Murphy v. Lynn, 118 F.3d 938, 944-46 (2d Cir. 1997)). "The fourth
amendment right implicated in a malicious prosecution action is the right to be
free of unreasonable seizure of the person - i.e., the right to be free of
unreasonable or unwarranted restraints on personal liberty. A plaintiff
asserting a fourth amendment malicious prosecution claim under § 1983 must
therefore show some deprivation of liberty consistent with the concept of
'seizure.'" Id. (quoting Singer, 63 F.3d at 116, and citing Murphy, 118
F.3d at 944). "Since the gist of a claim for malicious prosecution is
abuse of the judicial process, a plaintiff pursuing such a claim under § 1983
[also] must show that the seizure resulted from the initiation or pendency of
judicial proceedings." Id. (citation omitted). The Court need not address
whether Zandhri has satisfied this element, however, in light of its finding
infra as to probable cause.
16.
While the defendants discuss Zandhri's due process claim as one of procedural
due process in their summary judgment papers, Zandhri refers to her claim in
her opposition to the motion for summary judgment as a substantive due process
claim. Compare Defs.' Mem. Supp. Mtn. Summ. J. at 45-51, with Pl.'s Mem. Opp.
Mtn. Summ. J. at 15-16. In accordance with Zandhri's characterization, the
Court will treat her claim as one of substantive due process.
17. On page 4 of her opposition to
the defendants' motion for summary judgment, Zandhri asserts that Chief
Dortenzio "released privileged and confidential therapy information about
Zandhri to the news media." Zandhri refers to this as "an
extraordinarily outrageous breach of law." It appears that this
claim relates to the state law causes of action for defamation and privacy.
However, to the extent Zandhri is alleging that Chief Dortenzio's conduct
constituted a substantive due process violation, the Court concludes that Zandhri has failed to produce
any evidence in support of her allegation that Chief Dortenzio released the
information to the news media or that if he or another defendant did so that
would change the Court's conclusion as to substantive due process.
18.
Zandhri does not bring her claim of sex discrimination pursuant to Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2, as amended by the Civil
Rights Act of 1991 ("Title VII"). The Court notes, however, that the
adverse employment actions challenged by Zandhri would be assessed using the
same four-part McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 36 L. Ed. 2d
668, 93 S. Ct. 1817, (1973) test utilized in disparate treatment claims under
Title VII.
Under
McDonnell Douglas, [a] plaintiff bears the initial burden of proving by a preponderance
of the evidence a prima facie case of discrimination. The burden of production
then shifts to [the] defendants, who must offer through the introduction of
admissible evidence a non-discriminatory reason for their actions that, if
believed by the trier of fact, would support a finding that unlawful
discrimination was not a cause of the disputed employment action. [The]
plaintiff then must show that the proffered reason was merely a pretext for
discrimination, which may be demonstrated either by the presentation of
additional evidence showing that the employer's proffered explanation is
unworthy of credence, or by reliance on the evidence comprising the prima facie
case, without more. Heyman v. Queens Vill. Comm. for Mental Health for Jamaica
Cmty. Adolescent Program, Inc., 198 F.3d 68, 72 (2d Cir. 1999) (internal
quotation marks, alterations, and citations omitted); See Reeves v. Sanderson
Plumbing Prods., Inc., 530 U.S. 133,
147-48, 147 L. Ed. 2d 105, 120 S. Ct. 2097 (2000). However, while individuals
may not be held personally liable under Title VII, See Tomka v. Seiler Corp.,
66 F.3d 1295, 1313 (2d Cir. 1995), they may be so liable in their individual
capacity under section 1983.
19.
Zandhri specified this claim in this way: her former husband-Hill-had been
given "carte blanche" by the defendants in filing his complaints and
in the way they were handled.
20.
The Court would arrive at the same conclusion using McDonnell Douglas burden
shifting framework. That is, Zandhri has not satisfied her "initial burden
of proving by a preponderance of the evidence a prima facie case of
discrimination," or shown that the defendant's proffered reasons for the
adverse employment actions were "merely a pretext for
discrimination." Heyman, 198 F.3d at 72.
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