Larsgard v. Unknown Parties
Filing
22
ORDER The Winslow Defendants' motion to dismiss (Doc. 15 ) is granted in part and denied in part. Plaintiff's claim against Winslow (Claim Two) is dismissed without prejudice. Defendant Mendoza's motion to dismiss (Doc. 16 ) is grant ed. Plaintiff's intentional infliction of emotional distress claim against Defendant Mendoza (Claim Three) is dismissed without prejudice. Plaintiff may file a second amended complaint on or before September 7, 2012. Signed by Judge David G Campbell on 8/27/2012.(KMG)
1
WO
2
3
4
5
6
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
7
FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA
8
9
No. CV12-8013-PCT-DGC
Liv Larsgard,
Plaintiff,
10
11
v.
12
ORDER
Michael Mendoza, et al.,
Defendants.
13
14
15
Plaintiff Liv Larsgard filed her initial complaint on January 24, 2012, alleging
16
violations of the Fourth Amendment under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Doc. 1. On March 9,
17
2012, with some help from an attorney, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint.1 Doc. 3.
18
On April 3, 2012, Defendant Village of Winslow (“City of Winslow”) and Officer
19
Defendants Carl Calnimptewa, Arturo Zacarias, Alicia Marquez, Ronald Chisholm,
20
James Bach, and Ernest Cano (collectively “the Winslow Defendants”) filed a motion to
21
dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Doc. 15. On
22
May 11, 2012, Defendant Michael Mendoza filed a separate motion to dismiss for failure
23
to state a claim. Doc. 16. The Winslow Defendants joined in Defendant Mendoza’s
24
motion to dismiss. Doc. 17. After Plaintiff failed to file a response to either motion
25
within the required time, see LRCiv 12.1(b), the Court allowed Plaintiff until July 6, 2012
26
to respond. Doc. 18. On July 6, 2012, Plaintiff filed a letter with the Court, which the
27
1
28
See Doc. 19, at 1 (“My first complaint of January 2012 was not correct[ly] done.
Therefore I had to send a new complaint, on which a lawyer helped me for free.”).
1
Court construes as a response to the motions to dismiss.
Doc. 19.
The Winslow
2
Defendants and Defendant Mendoza have filed separate replies. Docs. 20, 21. The
3
parties have not requested oral argument. For reasons that follow, the Court will grant in
4
part and deny in part the Winslow Defendants’ motion to dismiss, grant Defendant
5
Mendoza’s motion to dismiss, and grant Plaintiff leave to file a second amended
6
complaint.
7
I.
Background.
8
The facts alleged in the amended complaint are as follows. Plaintiff and her son,
9
John Kristoffer Larsgard, are citizens of Norway. Doc. 3, ¶¶ 2, 9. On the morning of
10
September 24, 2011, Plaintiff was driving a Volvo belonging to her son in Winslow,
11
Arizona when she lost control of the car and struck a wall. Id. ¶¶ 9, 10. Plaintiff and her
12
son were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, and the police arranged for the Volvo to
13
be towed. Id. ¶ 10.
14
After being discharged from the hospital that afternoon, Plaintiff and her son
15
obtained a rental car and returned to Winslow to retrieve their belongings and make
16
arrangements to deal with the Volvo. Id. ¶ 11. Plaintiff’s son attempted to drive around
17
the sawhorse that was barricading the damaged Volvo, and Mr. Mendoza accused
18
Plaintiff’s son of driving the rental car dangerously. Id. ¶ 12. Plaintiff and her son left
19
the scene, with her son still driving. Id. He stopped a block or two later and parked the
20
rental car in order to make a call to Jack Dalton, a mechanic for the towing company. Id.
21
At that time, Mr. Mendoza approached the rental car, reached through the open driver’s
22
side window, and hit Plaintiff’s son. Id. Mr. Mendoza struck Plaintiff’s son in the head
23
several more times, and both Plaintiff and her son called 911 from their cell phones. Id.
24
¶ 13. Several police cars arrived on the scene, and the police officers drew their guns. Id.
25
¶ 14. These officers are named as defendants in this case. Id. Plaintiff was handcuffed
26
and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle, sustaining bruises on both wrists. Id. ¶ 15, 17.
27
Plaintiff’s son was taken to the hospital as a result of injuries inflicted by Mr. Mendoza.
28
Id. ¶ 18.
-2-
1
In her amended complaint, Plaintiff makes three claims: (1) violation of her rights
2
under the Fourth Amendment against the Officer Defendants, pursuant to § 1983,
3
(2) false arrest, deprivation of liberty, assault, and international and/or reckless infliction
4
of emotional distress against the City of Winslow, pursuant to a respondeat superior
5
theory, and (3) state common law intentional infliction of emotional distress arising from
6
the assault and battery of her son, against Mr. Mendoza. Doc. 3, at 5-8.
7
II.
Legal Standard.
8
Dismissal is appropriate under Rule 12(b)(6) where the plaintiff fails to state a
9
claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). When reviewing a
10
complaint under Rule 12(b)(6), all allegations of material fact are taken as true and
11
construed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Smith v. Jackson, 84
12
F.3d 1213, 1217 (9th Cir. 1996). Legal conclusions couched as factual allegations are not
13
entitled to the assumption of truth. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1950 (2009). To
14
avoid a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal, the complaint must plead enough facts to state a claim to
15
relief that is plausible on its face. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 554, 570 (2007).
16
This plausibility standard “is not akin to a ‘probability requirement,’ but it asks for more
17
than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949
18
(quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). “[W]here the well-pleaded facts do not permit the
19
court to infer more than the mere possibility of misconduct, the complaint has alleged –
20
but it has not ‘show[n]’ – ‘that the pleader is entitled to relief.’” Id. at 1950 (quoting Fed.
21
R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2)).
22
III.
Winslow Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss.
23
The Winslow Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff’s amended complaint on the
24
grounds that Plaintiff failed to comply with Arizona’s notice of claim requirement and
25
the City of Winslow is not a proper party to this action. Doc. 15, at 3-4.
26
A.
Notice of Claim.
27
Arizona’s notice of claim statute provides that all persons having a claim against a
28
public entity or public employee must provide notice of that claim within 180 days after
-3-
1
the cause of action accrues. A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A). The notice of claim requirement
2
applies only to state law claims. See Nored v. City of Tempe, 614 F. Supp. 2d 991, 998
3
(D. Ariz. 2008) (dismissing the plaintiff’s state law claims for failing to comply with
4
§ 12-821.01, while leaving the federal claim intact); Manriquez v. City of Phoenix,
5
No. CV11-01981-PHX-DGC, 2012 WL 1985640, at *2 n.1 (D. Ariz. June 4, 2012). The
6
notice of claim requirement is inapplicable to Plaintiff’s § 1983 claim against the Officer
7
Defendants (Claim One), and is inapplicable to the City of Winslow to the extent Plaintiff
8
seeks to make a § 1983 claim against it. Doc. 3, at 5-7.
9
The Winslow Defendants argue that the state law claims should be dismissed
10
because Plaintiff did not serve a notice of claim.
Doc. 15, at 3.
Generally, strict
11
compliance with the notice of claim statute is required. See Falcon ex rel. Sandoval v.
12
Maricopa Cnty., 144 P.3d 1254, 1256 (Ariz. 2006). The Court will dismiss Plaintiff’s
13
state tort claim against the City of Winslow (Claim Two) without prejudice for failure to
14
comply with the notice of claim requirement.2
15
B.
Respondeat Superior for § 1983 Claims.
16
Plaintiff alleges false arrest, deprivation of liberty, assault, and intentional and/or
17
reckless infliction of emotional distress by virtue of respondeat superior against the City
18
of Winslow. Doc. 3, at 7. The doctrine of respondeat superior imposes vicarious liability
19
on an employer for the torts of an employee if the torts are committed within the scope of
20
employment. Baker ex rel. Hall Brake Supply, Inc. v. Stewart Title & Trust of Phoenix,
21
Inc., 5 P.3d 249, 254 (Ariz. App. 2000); Patterson v. City of Phoenix, 436 P.2d 613, 617
22
(Ariz. 1968).
23
employed by the City of Winslow, and that they were acting on behalf of the City at all
24
times relevant to the amended complaint. Doc. 3, ¶ 25.
Plaintiff claims that the officers who arrested and searched her are
25
26
27
28
2
Because Defendant Mendoza has not joined the Winslow Defendants’ motion to
dismiss, the Court will not apply the Winslow Defendants’ notice of claim argument to
the state law claim against Defendant Mendoza.
-4-
1
Municipal liability under § 1983 cannot be founded on a theory of respondeat
2
superior. Gibson v. Cnty. of Washoe, 290 F.3d 1175, 1185 (9th Cir. 2002), cert. denied,
3
537 U.S. 1106 (2003). Generally, the actions of individual employees can support
4
liability against a municipality under § 1983 only if those employees were acting
5
pursuant to an official municipal policy. See Christie v. Iopa, 176 F.3d 1231, 1235
6
(9th Cir. 1999) (quoting Monell v. Dept. of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 691 (1978)). There
7
are two alternative ways that such liability can attach: first, if an employee commits a
8
constitutional violation pursuant to a longstanding practice or custom, and second, if the
9
person causing the constitutional violation has final policymaking authority. See Webb v.
10
Sloan, 330 F.3d 1158, 1164 (9th Cir. 2003) (citing Christie, 176 F.3d at 1235).
11
Plaintiff has not alleged that the City of Winslow has an official policy that caused
12
its employees to violate her constitutional rights, that the Officer Defendants deprived her
13
of her constitutional rights pursuant to the City of Winslow’s longstanding practice or
14
custom, or that the Officer Defendants causing the alleged violation had final
15
policymaking authority. Rather, she alleges that the City of Winslow is subject to
16
liability simply because “the officers who arrested and searched Plaintiff are employed by
17
the [City] of Winslow as police officers” and “were acting on behalf of the [City] of
18
Winslow[.]” Doc. 3, ¶ 25. The Court will dismiss this claim without prejudice because
19
“a municipality cannot be held liable solely because it employs a tortfeasor[.]” Monell,
20
436 U.S. at 691.
21
IV.
Defendant Mendoza’s Motion to Dismiss.
22
Defendant Mendoza moves to dismiss the amended complaint for failure to
23
present a prima facie case that Plaintiff’s claims for damages exceed $75,000 and for
24
failure to state a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. Doc. 16, at 3-5.
25
The Winslow Defendants have joined Defendant Mendoza’s motion regarding Plaintiff’s
26
state law claims. Doc. 17.
27
28
-5-
1
A.
Subject Matter Jurisdiction.
2
The amended complaint purports to assert diversity jurisdiction, alleging that
3
Plaintiff is a citizen of Norway and Defendants are citizens of the United States, and that
4
Plaintiff sustained damages exceeding $75,000.
5
originally files suit in federal court, “the amount in controversy is determined from the
6
face of the pleadings.” Geographic Expeditions, Inc. v. Estate of Lhotka, 599 F.3d 1102,
7
1106 (9th Cir. 2010) (quoting Crum v. Circus Circus Enters., 231 F.3d 1129, 1131
8
(9th Cir. 2000)).
9
jurisdiction – typically the plaintiff in the substantive dispute – controls so long as the
10
claim is made in good faith.” Id. (citing Crum, 231 F.3d at 1131). “To justify dismissal,
11
it must appear to a legal certainty that the claim is really for less than the jurisdictional
12
amount.” St. Paul Mercury Indem. Co. v. Red Cab Co., 303 U.S. 283, 289 (1938).
Doc. 3, ¶ 7.
Where the plaintiff
“The amount in controversy alleged by the proponent of federal
13
Defendant Mendoza argues that there is nothing in the amended complaint to
14
support damages in excess of $75,000. Doc. 16, at 4. Plaintiff claims that she has not
15
been allowed to take possession of the rental car, and that she believes the rental car
16
company is seeking to recover more than $20,000 from her as a result of Defendants’
17
conduct. Doc. 3, ¶ 21. She also seeks punitive damages against Defendant Mendoza. Id.
18
¶ 30. The Court cannot conclude with legal certainty that Plaintiff’s claim is for less than
19
$75,000, and will not dismiss Plaintiff’s claim for lack of jurisdiction.
20
Furthermore, Plaintiff also asserts that this Court has supplemental jurisdiction
21
over the common law claims pled in the amended complaint. Doc. 3, ¶¶ 6, 7. The Court
22
has original jurisdiction over the federal claim against the Officer Defendants (Claim
23
One), and Plaintiff’s state law claims clearly satisfy the “same case or controversy”
24
requirement of 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a).
25
jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s state law claims.
The Court properly exercises supplemental
26
B.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.
27
A plaintiff alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress in Arizona must
28
demonstrate three elements: (1) the defendant’s conduct was extreme and outrageous,
-6-
1
(2) the defendant intended to cause emotional distress or “recklessly disregarded the near
2
certainty” that his conduct would produce such distress, and (3) the defendant’s conduct
3
actually caused severe emotional distress. Bodett v. Coxcom, Inc., 366 F.3d 736, 746
4
(9th Cir. 2004); Ford v. Revlon, 734 P.2d 580, 585 (Ariz. 1987) (en banc).
5
The extreme and outrageous element is met when a defendant’s conduct is “so
6
outrageous in character and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of
7
decency, and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized
8
community.” Mintz v. Bell Atl. Sys. Leasing Int’l, Inc., 905 P.2d 559, 563 (Ariz. App.
9
1995) (citations omitted). Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Mendoza reached through the
10
driver’s side window and repeatedly struck Plaintiff’s son in the head. Doc. 3, ¶¶ 12, 13.
11
Defendant Mendoza argues that, even assuming this allegation is true, it is insufficient to
12
provide a basis for Plaintiff’s intentional infliction of emotional distress claim. Doc. 16,
13
at 5.
14
sufficiently outrageous, dismissal on this basis is inappropriate. See Nelson v. Phoenix
15
Resort Corp., 888 P.2d 1375, 1386 (Ariz. App. 1994).
Because reasonable minds could differ about whether the alleged conduct is
16
Plaintiff also alleges that the Defendant Mendoza’s actions were premeditated,
17
wanton, and malicious. Doc. 30, ¶ 30. This assertion, taken as true and construed in the
18
light most favorable to Plaintiff, establishes the second element of intentional infliction of
19
emotional distress claim.
20
The third prong of the claim requires that the defendant’s conduct actually caused
21
severe emotional distress. Because “severe emotional distress” is not readily capable of
22
precise legal definition, Arizona courts apply a case-by-case analysis with respect to
23
these determinations. See Lucchesi v. Frederic N. Stimmell, M.D., Ltd., 716 P.2d 1013,
24
1016 (Ariz. 1986). “A line of demarcation should be drawn between conduct likely to
25
cause mere ‘emotional distress’ and that causing ‘severe emotional distress.’” Midas
26
Muffler Shop v. Ellison, 650 P.2d 496, 501 (Ariz. App. 1982) (internal quotation and
27
citation omitted).
28
-7-
1
The element of severe emotional distress is noticeably lacking in this case.
2
Plaintiff alleges in the amended complaint that she suffered humiliation and fear. Doc. 3,
3
¶ 26. In her response, she claims that she has been under “huge emotional stress” and has
4
“practically been without sleep or rest” for the last nine months. Doc. 19, at 1. These
5
symptoms do not constitute severe emotional distress. See Spratt v. N. Auto. Corp., 958
6
F. Supp. 456, 461 (D. Ariz. 1996) (crying, being stressed and upset, and having
7
headaches is not enough to establish severe harm); Bodett, 366 F.3d at 747 (shock, stress,
8
moodiness, and estrangement from friends and coworkers is not severe); Midas Muffler
9
Shop, 650 P.2d at 501 (difficulty sleeping is insufficient to establish severe emotional
10
distress). But see Ford v. Revlon, Inc., 734 P.2d 580, 583 (Ariz. 1987) (anxiety that
11
results in physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, chest pains, fatigue, and
12
dizziness does constitute severe emotional distress); Pankratz v. Willis, 744 P.2d 1182,
13
1191 (Ariz. App. 1987) (anger and depression coupled with physical ailments such as
14
headaches and hemorrhoids constitute severe emotional distress). The Court concludes
15
that Plaintiff has failed to plead sufficient facts to show the third element of her
16
intentional infliction of emotional distress claim (Claim Three). This claim will be
17
dismissed without prejudice.
18
V.
Leave to Amend.
19
“A pro se litigant must be given leave to amend his or her complaint unless it is
20
‘absolutely clear that the deficiencies of the complaint could not be cured by
21
amendment.’” Karim-Panahi v. Los Angeles Police Dept., 839 F.2d 621, 624 (9th Cir.
22
1988) (citations omitted). It is not clear that Plaintiff’s state tort claim against the City of
23
Winslow is incurable. While Plaintiff has failed to serve a timely notice of claim, it is not
24
absolutely clear that Plaintiff cannot allege facts that would establish waiver, estoppel, or
25
equitable tolling. See Pritchard v. State, 788 P.2d 1178. 1181 (Ariz. 1990) (notice of
26
claim requirement subject to waiver, estoppel, and equitable tolling). To the extent
27
Plaintiff seeks to make a § 1983 claim against the City of Winslow, there are, as
28
discussed above, ways in which municipalities may be held liable for § 1983 violations.
-8-
1
It is also not clear that Plaintiff’s intentional infliction of emotional distress claim against
2
Defendant Mendoza is incurable. The Court is not absolutely certain that Plaintiff can
3
allege no set of facts that would show severe emotional distress. The Court accordingly
4
will dismiss Claim Two against the City of Winslow and Claim Three against Defendant
5
Mendoza without prejudice, and allow Plaintiff to file a second amended complaint that
6
contains sufficient factual allegations to support these claims.
7
In Plaintiff’s amended complaint, she asks for leave to add her son as a plaintiff.
8
Doc. 3, ¶ 29. The Court will allow Plaintiff to name her son as a plaintiff in the second
9
amended complaint. This will not prejudice Defendants, who will be able to address his
10
claims in any motions directed to the second amended complaint.
11
Plaintiff is advised that although she is proceeding pro se, she must become
12
familiar with and follow the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Rules of the United
13
States District Court for the District of Arizona (“Local Rules”). See King v. Atiyeh, 814
14
F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1986) (“Pro se litigants must follow the same rules of procedure
15
that govern other litigants.”). The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are available at the
16
following Internet website: www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp. A copy of the Court’s Local
17
Rules may be obtained in the Clerk’s Office and are available online at the Court’s
18
Internet website: www.azd.uscourts.gov (follow hyperlink titled “Rules/General
19
Orders”).
20
Plaintiff is advised that any claims not re-alleged in the second amended complaint
21
will be waived. See London v. Coopers & Lybrand, 644 F.2d 811, 814 (9th Cir. 1981)
22
(“It has long been the rule in this circuit that a plaintiff waives all causes of action alleged
23
in the original complaint which are not alleged in the amended complaint.”). If Plaintiff
24
fails to prosecute this action or comply with the rules or any Court order, the Court may
25
dismiss the action with prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil
26
Procedure. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1260 (9th Cir. 1992).
27
28
-9-
1
IT IS ORDERED:
2
1.
The Winslow Defendants’ motion to dismiss (Doc. 15) is granted in part
3
and denied in part.
4
without prejudice.
5
2.
Plaintiff’s claim against Winslow (Claim Two) is dismissed
Defendant Mendoza’s motion to dismiss (Doc. 16) is granted. Plaintiff’s
6
intentional infliction of emotional distress claim against Defendant Mendoza (Claim
7
Three) is dismissed without prejudice.
8
9
10
3.
Plaintiff may file a second amended complaint on or before
September 7, 2012.
Dated this 27th day of August, 2012.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
- 10 -
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?