CARL J. BARBIER, District Judge.
Before the Court are Defendants Craig Hart and Tammy Karas's Motion to Dismiss (Rec. Doc. 8) and Plaintiff Brian Glotfelty's opposition to same (Rec. Doc. 16). Having considered the motion and legal memoranda, the record, and the applicable law, the Court is prepared to issue its ruling.
Plaintiff Brian Glotfelty sues to recover damages resulting from an arrest that he alleges unlawfully occurred and was unlawfully sought and caused by the defendants. Glotfelty alleges that he did not receive due process when an attachment for his arrest was issued and subsequently executed, in connection with his appearance at a hearing on a motion for contempt in a divorce proceeding in state court. Glotfelty alleges that as a result of his arrest and imprisonment, he suffered damages, including mental, emotional, and physical pain and suffering, and having to incur significant expenses to defend against unlawful actions taken against him.
The instant proceeding arises from an underlying divorce proceeding in state court that the parties characterize as "acrimonious." The alleged facts concerning that divorce proceeding are related here as stated in Glotfelty's complaint. Glotfelty was sought to be deposed in the divorce of Ryan Richard ("Richard") and Stacey Rebecca Smith Richard. In his divorce petition, Richard alleged that Glotfelty was Ms. Richard's paramour. Counsel for Richard caused to issue a number of notices of deposition and subpoenas for the purpose of taking Glotfelty's deposition in the divorce proceeding. The first deposition was scheduled for September 30, 2010; it was continued by the parties' consent. The second deposition was noticed for October 27, 2010; the sheriff was allegedly unable to serve the subpoena. The third deposition was noticed for November 9, 2010; Glotfelty did not attend.
A special process server filed an affidavit into the state court record stating that he personally served Glotfelty with the subpoena for notice of deposition on November 2, 2010. No return on the subpoena is in the state court record. Glotfelty denies he received service concerning this third deposition noticed for November 9, 2010. The deposition notice is defaced, in that the address of Richard's previous counsel (who ended their representation of Richard in November) was scratched out and replaced with the address of Richard's new counsel—the instant movant defendants, Craig Hart and Tammy Karas ("Hart" and "Karas"). As already noted, the November 9 deposition date passed without Glotfelty attending.
Hart and Karas's next step was to file a motion for contempt concerning Glotfelty's failure to appear at the deposition. Vitally important to the instant proceeding, the motion for contempt requested that an attachment issue for Glotfelty, and that he be brought to court for the court's December 9, 2010 rule date. The state judge ordered that the attachment issue and that Glotfelty be brought to court on December 9 to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court. Although the state court record contains a special process server's affidavit that the motion for contempt was served on Glotfelty, there is no return in the record, and Glotfelty denies that he was ever served with a copy of the motion itself. Accepting this allegation as true for the purpose of the instant motion to dismiss, although he knew of the December 9 rule date, Glotfelty had no knowledge that an attachment for his arrest had also issued.
Prior to the December 9 rule date, Hart and Karas issued a notice of deposition scheduled for December 2, 2010. December 2 proved an eventful day: the fourth scheduled deposition was set for that day; Glotfelty was served with notice of the deposition, subpoena, and the order regarding the motion for contempt; and counsel for the parties held a conference with a judge who quashed the notice of deposition and reset the deposition for December 16, 2010. At the conference, the outstanding attachment for Glotfelty's arrest was not mentioned. Glotfelty avers that he had no knowledge of the attachment for this reason, and for the additional reasons that he never received a copy of the motion for contempt itself
On Saturday, December 4, 2010, five days before the scheduled contempt hearing, Glotfelty was arrested on the attachment. He was handcuffed and fingerprinted but not charged with any crime. He was released from prison after being held for what he claims was an "unreasonable lengthy period of time," after posting a $500 cash bond. On December 9, 2010, a judge ordered that the order issuing the attachment be vacated. Glotfelty was finally deposed on December 16, 2010. On February 16, 2011, the judge dismissed the outstanding rules with prejudice and vacated all attachments related to Glotfelty. Based upon these events concerning the attachment and arrest, Glotfelty filed his complaint in the instant proceeding on November 15, 2011, naming as defendants Richard; Richard's counsel, Hart and Karas (the instant movants); XYZ Insurance Company; John Doe; and Sheriff Jack Strain, Jr. He brings his claims under Title 42 U.S.C. Sections 1983 and 1988; and in the alternative, under Louisiana tort law, alleging negligence, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hart and Karas filed the instant motion to dismiss, which is set for hearing as of March 14, 2012.
Hart and Karas argue that all claims against them should be dismissed. First, they argue that the Section 1983 claims for federal civil rights violations fail as a matter of law. They argue that there was no deprivation of a constitutional right because the alleged facts show that Glotfelty was not deprived of due process. Hart and Karas aver that in filing the motion for contempt, they relied on the state court record, which indicated that Glotfelty was served with notice of the third deposition, and on the fact that Glotfelty failed to appear on November 9, 2010 for that deposition. They further aver that Glotfelty was served with the motion for contempt and the signed order requesting an attachment. Hart and Karas also argue that they did not act under color of state law, but rather acted as private attorneys. They argue that private attorneys and their clients do not become state officials by employing the rules of state procedural law. To the extent that Glotfelty asserts that Hart and Karas conspired with other state actors and/or acted with intent, Hart and Karas argue that the complaint's allegations are not specific. Namely, the complaint does not allege that Hart and Karas knew or should have known that Glotfelty would be arrested on December 4, 2010, or that they conspired with the St. Tammany Parish sheriff or any other state actor to deprive Glotfelty of due process.
Second, Hart and Karas argue that Glotfelty's tort claims fail as a matter of law, for several reasons. First, they argue that they did not commit negligent or intentional acts because they followed the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure in seeking a motion for contempt due to Glotfelty's failure to attend a deposition for which his attendance was compelled by subpoena. Second, and alternatively, Hart and Karas argue that they owed no duty to Glotfelty—who was their client's adversary—because they were prosecuting the divorce proceeding on behalf of their client, Richard. Third, to the extent Glotfelty brings an intentional tort claim that can be characterized as a malicious prosecution claim, because the underlying suit was not decided in Glotfelty's favor, he does not state a claim in the instant matter. Finally, Hart and Karas argue that there is no evidence that they acted with intent.
Glotfelty responds that he has stated a claim on which relief may be granted. He argues that he has alleged that Hart was appointed a mayor's court judge, that Hart was previously employed by the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney's Office, and that Richard was a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Deputy. Therefore, he argues, the defendants are state actors for purposes of his Section 1983 claim. He argues that he has properly pled a conspiracy among state actors based on specific facts, namely, that the wrongfully issued ex-parte attachment was executed by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office ("STPSO") shortly after its issuance upon Glotfelty, who had no prior arrest record; it was executed on a Saturday morning; and Glotfelty was brought to jail despite the fact that the attachment stated that he was to be brought to court on December 9, 2010, which was five days after the actual date of arrest. Glotfelty argues that he has alleged sufficient facts to demonstrate that Hart and Karas were joint participants with each other, Richard, and the STPSO in intentionally and improperly requesting the issuance of an ex-parte attachment prior to the hearing on the motion for contempt. As further evidence pertaining to the alleged conspiracy, Glotfelty points to the fact that the arrest occurred three days after the conference during which the judge had reset the deposition for December 16, 2010.
With respect to the allegations sounding in tort, Glotfelty argues that he has alleged sufficient facts to state a claim regarding Hart and Karas's negligent or intentional acts in violating Louisiana law and Glotfelty's due process rights in obtaining an attachment without a hearing, in failing to disclose the existence of the attachment during the conference with the state judge on December 2, 2010, and causing and/or allowing Glotfelty to be arrested by the STPSO. Glotfelty also clarifies that he has not sought to hold Hart or Karas liable for breach of a professional obligation.
Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a complaint must contain "a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." FED. R. CIV. P. 8(a)(2). The complaint must "give the defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests."
To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the plaintiff must plead enough facts "to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face."
For a plaintiff to state a claim under Title 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, he "must allege the violation of a right secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and must show that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law."
To the extent Glotfelty's claim is that Hart and Karas acted under color of state law through the act of making an improper request with the state court that an attachment issue, and that it issue prior to the contempt hearing, Hart and Karas clearly would not be state actors for purposes of Section 1983. Invocation of state authority by a private person does not automatically make that person a state actor under Section 1983.
Glotfelty, however, does more than allege that Hart and Karas are state actors due to their allegedly improper use of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure to pursue a contempt motion and attachment. He alleges that Hart and Karas acted in connection with the STPSO. A private citizen may be held liable under Section 1983 where the plaintiff alleges "that the citizen conspired with or acted in concert with state actors."
The mere involvement of the STPSO in arresting Glotfelty in accordance with the attachment sought by Hart and Karas does not make the attorneys state actors. Rather, where a claimant alleges that the police acted at the request of private parties, the Fifth Circuit has stated that the claimant must prove a "preconceived plan":
In his complaint, Glotfelty alleges the following:
Rec. Doc. 1, at 12, ¶ XXIX (footnote omitted). Reasonably and liberally construed, this averment is that based on an amalgamation of circumstances, there must have been some sort of agreement or knowledge amongst the defendants and/or the STPSO to arrest Glotfelty. Glotfelty appears to imply that law enforcement in some way was in league with Hart and/or Richard to execute an attachment shortly after its issuance, at an odd time of the day and week, when the STPSO had more important matters to attend to, and in contravention of the attachment's statement that Glotfelty was to be brought to court on the later date of the contempt hearing. There is no allegation, as required under
To the extent Glotfelty is asserting that Hart, Karas, and law enforcement reached an understanding or agreement that Glotfelty would be arrested on December 4, 2010, instead of the alleged proper date of December 9, these factual allegations are insufficient to raise Glotfelty's right to relief above the speculative level, as is required under
The facts alleged are that Hart and Richard were closely connected with law enforcement, thousands of arrest warrants were unserved in St. Tammany Parish on the date in question, the attachment was executed shortly after its issuance, Glotfelty had no prior arrests, the arrest occurred on a Saturday morning, and the arrest occurred several days earlier than it should have. Rec. Doc. 1, at 12, ¶ XXIX. These facts do not permit the Court to draw a reasonable inference that an agreement to improperly execute the attachment existed. These facts may be consistent with an agreement: the arrest of someone with a clean record earlier than usual or prior to what is contemplated by the language of the attachment order, against the background of an alleged backlog or queue of arrest warrants in the sheriff's jurisdiction, would support a finding of an agreement between the attorneys who sought the attachment and law enforcement to promptly execute the attachment. However, pleaded facts "merely consistent" with liability do not make a claim plausible.
Glotfelty states in his opposition memorandum that he has alleged that Hart, Karas, Richard, and the STPSO conspired together to effect Glotfelty's unlawful arrest based upon the illegal attachment. It is notable that Glotfelty does not cite to any portion of his complaint that uses the word "conspiracy," and the Court cannot find any such instance. A conspiracy under Section 1983 has been described as "an agreement between private and public actors to violate the plaintiff's constitutional rights. A conspiracy may be proven by circumstantial evidence; however, the acts of the alleged conspirators must show a `unity of purpose, common design, and understanding, or meeting of the minds in an unlawful arrangement.'"
Furthermore, the allegations that certain of the private defendants have some connection to the State is insufficient to deem them state actors. Glotfelty asserts that Richard was a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputy and that Hart was an appointed judge of a mayor's court. Rec. Doc. 1, at 3, ¶ IV; at 11, ¶ XXVIII. However, Glotfelty does not assert any specific facts indicating that these defendants in any way used these alleged public positions to deprive Glotfelty of any constitutional right or that the public positions made it any easier for the alleged constitutional deprivation to occur.
Glotfelty has not stated a plausible claim that Hart and Karas acted under color of state law, and thus he has not pled a claim against them arising under Section 1983. The Court finds the case of
The same rationale that applies to the dismissal of the Section 1983 claims against Hart and Karas applies to defendant Richard. Any encouragement of his attorneys by Richard to use state procedural law to seek a contempt order and attachment does not make Richard a state actor under Section 1983. Just as no plausible allegation of joint participation by Hart and Karas with law enforcement is made in the complaint, no plausible allegation of joint participation exists with respect to Hart and Karas's client, Richard. Also, as previously noted, the bare allegation that Richard had some connection with the State, perhaps as a sheriff's deputy, fails to plausibly allege that Richard used state authority to perpetrate any constitutional deprivation upon Glotfelty.
Moreover, the Court finds that Glotfelty's allegations with respect to Sheriff Jack Strain and the arresting officer, "John Doe," also fail to meet the plausibility standard imposed by Federal Rule 8(a). The complaint alleges that Strain is vicariously liable for any acts and/or omissions by employees of the STPSO in the course and scope of their employment, including Doe during his arrest of Glotfelty. Rec. Doc. 1, at 10, ¶¶ XXII-XXIII. The complaint avers that Glotfelty's arrest by Doe was "improper, lacked probable cause, or any legal basis, and was in violation of" Glotfelty's constitutional rights and Louisiana law.
Fictitiously named "John Doe" in the complaint, the arresting officer is not a party to this action.
A district court may decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction where it has dismissed all other claims over which it had original jurisdiction.
For the foregoing reasons,