Moore v. City of Ceres et al

Filing 12

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART 2 Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, signed by Chief Judge Anthony W. Ishii on 11/10/2011. Plaintiff may file an amended complaint within twenty (20) days. If Plaintiff does not file a timely amended complaint, Defendants may file an answer within twenty-seven (27) days. (Jessen, A)

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1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 3 4 MICHAEL C. MOORE, 5 6 1:11-cv-01414 AWI GSA Plaintiff, ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS v. (DOC. 2) 7 8 9 10 CITY OF CERES; DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE MIKE BORGES; K. KITCHER; D. VIERRA; and DOES 1 through 20 inclusive, Defendants. 11 12 13 I. INTRODUCTION Before the Court is Defendants City of Ceres (the “City”), Deputy Chief of Police Mike Borges, K. Kitcher, and D. Vierra‟s (collectively, “Defendants”) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff 14 15 Michael C. Moore‟s (“Plaintiff”) Complaint (Defs.‟ Mot. Dismiss, ECF No. 2). Plaintiff did not 16 file an opposition. For the reasons that follow, the Motion to Dismiss will be granted in part and 17 denied in part. 18 19 20 II. BACKGROUND This civil rights action arises from Officers Kitcher and Vierra‟s (“Defendant Officers”) September 27, 2010 arrest of Plaintiff. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Officers, with Chief 21 Borges‟ approval, conspired to charge Plaintiff with the commission of a crime; assaulted and 22 23 battered Plaintiff; unlawfully arrested Plaintiff; incarcerated Plaintiff; and compelled Plaintiff to 24 appear and defend himself in court based on false and pretextual criminal charges, which were 25 subsequently dismissed as lacking a factual or legal basis. Compl. ¶ 7, ECF No. 1. On July 22, 26 2011, Plaintiff filed the Complaint against Defendants in the Superior Court of California, County 27 of Stanislaus, invoking 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 42 U.S.C. § 1986 and alleging violations of the 28 1 1 First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution. Compl. Defendants 2 removed the Complaint to this Court on August 22, 2011. Pet. for Removal, ECF No. 1. 3 III. LEGAL STANDARD 4 5 6 Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a claim may be dismissed because of the plaintiff‟s “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). A 7 dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) may be based on the lack of a cognizable legal theory or on the 8 absence of sufficient facts alleged under a cognizable legal theory. Johnson v. Riverside 9 Healthcare Sys., 534 F.3d 1116, 1121 (9th Cir. 2008). In reviewing a complaint under Rule 10 12(b)(6), all allegations of material fact are taken as true and construed in the light most favorable 11 to the non-moving party. Marceau v. Blackfeet Hous. Auth., 540 F.3d 916, 919 (9th Cir. 2008). 12 13 The Court must also assume that general allegations embrace the necessary, specific facts to 14 support the claim. Smith v. Pac. Prop. & Dev. Corp., 358 F.3d 1097, 1106 (9th Cir. 2004). The 15 Court, however, is not required “to accept as true allegations that are merely conclusory, 16 unwarranted deductions of fact, or unreasonable inferences.” In re Gilead Scis. Sec. Litig., 536 17 F.3d 1049, 1055 (9th Cir. 2008) (quoting Sprewell v. Golden State Warriors, 266 F.3d 979, 988 18 19 (9th Cir. 2001)). Although they may provide the framework of a complaint, legal conclusions are not accepted as true and “[t]hreadbare recitals of elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 20 21 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 22 (2009). Furthermore, Courts will not assume that plaintiffs “can prove facts which [they have] 23 not alleged, or that the defendants have violated . . . laws in ways that have not been alleged.” 24 Assoc. Gen. Contractors of Cal., Inc. v. Cal. State Council of Carpenters, 459 U.S. 519, 526 25 (1983). As the Supreme Court has explained: 26 27 28 While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff‟s obligation to provide the „grounds‟ of his „entitlement to relief‟ requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Factual allegations must be enough to raise a 2 1 right to relief above the speculative level, on the assumption that all the allegations in the complaint are true (even if doubtful in fact). 2 3 Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007) (citations omitted). Thus, to “avoid a Rule 4 12(b)(6) dismissal, “a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a 5 claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949; see Twombly, 550 U.S. at 6 570; see also Weber v. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 521 F.3d 1061, 1065 (9th Cir. 2008). “A claim 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949. The plausibility standard is not akin to a „probability requirement,‟ but it asks more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Where a complaint pleads facts that are „merely consistent with‟ a defendant‟s liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of „entitlement to relief.‟ ... 16 Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief will . . . be a context specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense. But where the well-pleaded facts do not permit the court to infer more than the mere possibility of misconduct, the complaint has alleged – but it has not shown – that the pleader is entitled to relief. 17 Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. at 1949-50 (citations omitted). “In sum, for a complaint to survive a motion to 18 dismiss, the non-conclusory „factual content,‟ and reasonable inferences from that content, must 19 be plausibly suggestive of a claim entitling the plaintiff to relief.” Moss v. United States Secret 20 Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). 14 15 21 IV. DISCUSSION 22 23 A. 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Claims 24 Section 1983 provides in pertinent part: 25 Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress . . .. 3 26 27 28 1 42 U.S.C. § 1983. “Section 1983 does not create any substantive rights, but is instead a vehicle 2 by which plaintiffs can bring federal constitutional and statutory challenges to actions by state 3 and local officials.” Anderson v. Warner, 451 F.3d 1063, 1067 (9th Cir. 2006). To state a claim 4 5 under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a plaintiff must show (1) the violation of a right secured by the 6 Constitution or a federal law, and (2) that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person 7 acting under color of state law. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48, 108 S.Ct. 2250 (1988). Here, 8 Plaintiff asserts Section 1983 claims against Defendants for violation of the First, Fourth, Fifth, 9 and Fourteenth Amendments. Defendants contend that the Complaint does not contain sufficient 10 allegations of any Constitutional violations. 11 1. First Amendment Claims 12 13 The nature of Plaintiff‟s First Amendment claims is unclear. Defendants move to dismiss 14 Plaintiff‟s First Amendment claims, ostensibly for violation of right to privacy, access to the 15 courts, and familial association. Other than listing these alleged violations, however, the 16 Complaint does not contain any factual allegations that are remotely related to Plaintiff‟s asserted 17 First Amendment claims. There is no allegation related to privacy or violation of privacy, no 18 allegation that Defendants denied Plaintiff access to the courts, and no assertion related to any of 19 Plaintiff‟s family members or his association with them. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss 20 21 22 23 Plaintiff‟s First Amendment Claims is GRANTED with leave to amend. 2. Fourth Amendment Claims a. Unlawful Arrest 24 Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment unlawful arrest claim. “A 25 claim for unlawful arrest is cognizable under § 1983 as a violation of the Fourth Amendment, 26 27 28 provided the arrest was without probable cause or other justification.” Dubner v. City & Cnty. of San Francisco, 266 F.3d 959, 964 (9th Cir. 2001). “Probable cause to arrest exists when officers 4 1 have knowledge or reasonably trustworthy information sufficient to lead a person of reasonable 2 caution to believe that an offense has been or is being committed by the person being arrested.” 3 4 5 Fayer v. Vaugn, 649 F.3d 1061, 1064 (9th Cir. 2011). Plaintiff alleges that on or about September 27, 2010, he was “peacefully and lawfully” 6 near the 1300 block of Mitchell in Ceres, California when Officer Defendants accosted him, 7 conspired to charge him with the commission of a crime, and unlawfully arrested him. Compl. ¶ 8 13. Plaintiff also alleges that the arrest was unjustified and that to cover up the unjustified arrest 9 of Plaintiff, Defendants conspired to fabricate a story that portrayed Plaintiff as violating the law. 10 Id at ¶ 15. These allegations sufficiently allege that Plaintiff was arrested without probable cause. 11 Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment claim for unlawful arrest is 12 13 14 15 DENIED. b. Excessive Force Defendants also move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment excessive force claim. 16 Claims of excessive force during pretrial detention are examined under the Fourth Amendment‟s 17 prohibition against unreasonable seizures. See Gibson v. Cnty. of Washoe, Nev., 290 F.3d 1175, 18 1197 (9th Cir. 2002); Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 394, 109 S.Ct. 1865 (1989). Fourth 19 Amendment analysis requires balancing of the quality and nature of the intrusion on an 20 21 individual‟s interests against the countervailing governmental interests at stake. Graham, 490 22 U.S. at 396. Use of force violates an individual‟s constitutional rights under the Fourth 23 Amendment where the force used was objectively unreasonable in light of the facts and 24 circumstances confronting them. Id. at 397. Excessive force inquiries require balancing of the 25 amount of force applied against the need for that force under the circumstances. Meredith v. 26 27 28 Erath, 342 F.3d 1057, 1061 (9th Cir.2003). The Complaint alleges that Officer Defendants “assaulted and battered” Plaintiff. This 5 1 allegation is a legal conclusion and does not contain any allegations of fact to support a claim for 2 excessive force. Conclusory allegations of law and unwarranted inferences are not sufficient to 3 defeat a motion to dismiss. Fayer v. Vaughn, 649 F.3d 1061, 1064 (9th Cir. 2011). Defendants‟ 4 5 6 motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment claim for excessive force is GRANTED with leave to amend. 7 3. Fifth Amendment Claim 8 Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fifth Amendment claim as impermissible under 9 the Constitution. “[T]he Fifth Amendment‟s due process clause only applies to the federal 10 government,” not state or local law enforcement officials. Bingue v. Prunchak, 512 F.3d 1169, 11 1174 (9th Cir. 2008). See also Castillo v. McFadden, 399 F.3d 993, 1002 n.5 (9th Cir. 2005) 12 13 (“[Plaintiff‟s] citation of the Fifth Amendment was, of course, incorrect. The Fifth Amendment 14 prohibits the federal government from depriving persons of due process, while the Fourteenth 15 Amendment explicitly prohibits deprivations without due process by the several States.”). The 16 Complaint states that Defendant City is “a governmental entity and/or public entity duly 17 organized and existing under the laws of the State of California,” and Chief Borges, Officer 18 Kitcher, and Officer Vierra were officers, agents or employees of Defendant City in the Police 19 Department. Compl. ¶¶ 5, 6. The Complaint does not contain any allegations against the federal 20 21 22 government. Plaintiff has no cause of action under the Fifth Amendment. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fifth Amendment claim is GRANTED with prejudice. 23 4. Fourteenth Amendment Claims 24 a. Due Process Claim 25 26 Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourteenth Amendment claim under the Due Process Clause as improper. The Fourteenth Amendment‟s Due Process clause protects pretrial 27 28 detainees from the use of excessive physical force. Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 395 n.10, 6 1 109 S.Ct. 1865 (1989); Gibson v. Cnty. of Washoe, Nev., 290 F.3d 1175, 1197 (9th Cir. 2002). 2 The Ninth Circuit has determined that the Fourth Amendment sets the applicable constitutional 3 limitations for considering claims of excessive force during pretrial detention. Gibson, 290 F.3d 4 5 at 1197. The Court must evaluate Plaintiff‟s excessive force claim under the Fourth 6 Amendment‟s objective reasonableness standard, not the Fourteenth Amendment. See id.; see 7 also Lolli v. Cnty. of Orange, 351 F.3d 410, 415 (9th Cir. 2003). Defendants‟ motion to dismiss 8 Plaintiff‟s Fourteenth Amendment claim under the Due Process Clause is GRANTED with 9 prejudice. 10 11 b. Equal Protection Claim Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Equal Protection Claim as insufficient. The Equal 12 13 Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides that “no State shall „deny to any person 14 within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws,‟ which is essentially a direction that all 15 persons similarly situated should be treated alike.” City of Cleburne, Tex. v. Cleburne Living 16 Ctr., 473 U.S. 432, 439, 105 S.Ct. 3249 (1985) (quoting Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, 216, 102 17 S.Ct. 2382 (1982)). “To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for a violation of the Equal 18 Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment a plaintiff must show that the defendants acted 19 with an intent or purpose to discriminate against the plaintiff based upon membership in a 20 21 protected class.” Lee v. City of L.A., 250 F.3d 668, 686 (9th Cir. 2001). Here, the Complaint does 22 not allege that Plaintiff was a member of a protected class or that Defendants acted with the intent 23 to discriminate Plaintiff on the basis of his membership in the protected class. The Complaint 24 does not have sufficient allegations to sustain Plaintiff‟s Equal Protection claim. Defendants‟ 25 motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourteenth Amendment claim under the Equal Protection Clause is 26 GRANTED with leave to amend. 27 28 7 1 5. Supervisory Liability Claim against Chief Borges 2 Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s claim against Chief Borges for supervisory 3 liability. In a Section 1983 action, “[g]overnment officials may not be held liable for the 4 5 6 unconstitutional conduct of their subordinates under a theory of respondeat superior.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1948 (2009). There is no vicarious “supervisory liability,” 7 because “[e]ach Government official, his or her title notwithstanding, is only liable for his or her 8 own misconduct.” Id. at 1949. A supervisor may be individually liable under Section 1983 “if 9 there exists either: (1) his or her personal involvement in the constitutional deprivation, or (2) a 10 sufficient causal connection between the supervisor‟s wrongful conduct and the constitutional 11 12 13 14 violation.” Jeffers v. Gomez, 267 F.3d 895, 915 (9th Cir. 2001) (quoting Redman v. Cnty. of San Diego, 942 F.2d 1435, 1446 (9th Cir. 1991)). Defendants contend that Plaintiff does not make any specific factual allegations against 15 Chief Borges. The Complaint, however, alleges that Chief Borges conspired to fabricate a false 16 story that portrayed Plaintiff as violating the law to justify his arrest, fabricated and disseminated 17 that story, exonerated Officer Defendants‟ arrest of Plaintiff as justified, returned Officer 18 Defendants to active police duty, cleared them of wrongdoing, and gave written and oral reports 19 to investigators that the use of force in the arrest of Plaintiff was justified. Supervisory liability is 20 21 imposed against a supervisory official in his individual capacity for his “own culpable action or 22 inaction in the training, supervision or control of his subordinates”; his acquiescence in 23 constitutional deprivations; or for conduct that shows a “reckless or callous indifference to the 24 rights of others.” Larez v. City of L.A., 946 F.2d 630, 646 (9th Cir. 1991). The Complaint 25 contains sufficient allegations to meet these standards. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss the 26 Complaint against Chief Borges in his individual supervisory capacity is DENIED. 27 28 8 1 6. Monell Claim against City of Ceres 2 A municipality cannot be held liable under a respondeat superior theory. Monell v. Dep’t 3 of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 691, 98 S. Ct. 2018 (1978). “But liability can attach if the 4 5 6 municipality caused a constitutional violation through official policy or custom, even if the constitutional violation occurs only once.” Fogel v. Collins, 531 F.3d 824, 834 (9th Cir. 2008). 7 To prevail under a Section 1983 claim against a local government, a plaintiff must show that (1) 8 he or she was deprived of a constitutional right, (2) the local government had a policy, (3) the 9 policy amounted to a deliberate indifference to his or her constitutional right, and (4) the policy 10 was the moving force behind the constitutional violation. Burke v. Cnty. of Alameda, 586 F.3d 11 725, 734 (9th Cir. 2009). A “policy” is a “deliberate choice to follow a course of action ... made 12 13 14 from among various alternatives by the official or officials responsible for establishing final policy with respect to the subject matter in question.” Fogel, 531 F.3d at 834. A “custom” for 15 purposes of municipal liability is a “widespread practice that, although not authorized by written 16 law or express municipal policy, is so permanent and well-settled as to constitute a custom or 17 usage with the force of law.” City of St. Louis v. Praprotnik, 485 U.S. 112, 127, 108 S.Ct. 915 18 (1988); L.A. Police Protective League v. Gates, 907 F.2d 879, 890 (9th Cir. 1990). There are 19 three ways to show a municipality‟s policy or custom: 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (1) by showing “a longstanding practice or custom which constitutes the „standard operating procedure‟ of the local government entity;” (2) “by showing that the decisionmaking official was, as a matter of state law, a final policymaking authority whose edicts or acts may fairly be said to represent official policy in the area of decision;” or (3) “by showing that an official with final policymaking authority either delegated that authority to, or ratified the decision of, a subordinate. Menotti v. City of Seattle, 409 F.3d 1113, 1147 (9th Cir. 2005) (quoting Ulrich v. City & Cnty. of S.F., 308 F.3d 968, 984-85 (9th Cir. 2002)). 27 Here, the Complaint alleges that Defendant City had a policy, practice, and custom of: 28 (a) Failure to properly screen supervise, discipline, transfer, counsel or otherwise control 9 1 5 officers who are known or who should have been known to engage in the use of excessive and deadly force, especially those officers repeatedly accused of such improper acts; (b) Ratification of acts of improper use of force, including deadly force with knowledge of their illegality; (c) A police code of silence wherein other officers and supervisors habitually cover up use of excessive and deadly force by fabricating accounts to the media and in official reports and investigations, all of which are designed to falsely exonerate officers from potential civil liability. 6 Compl. ¶ 21. The Complaint further alleges that Defendant City‟s investigations of complaints of 7 excessive force and wrongful death were found primarily to be unsustained, although Defendant 2 3 4 8 City thereafter admitted they were meritorious; Defendant City and Chief Borges reduced the 9 10 percentage of sustained cases and reduced recommended disciplinary penalties although they 11 admitted such reductions were unwarranted; Defendant City and Chief Borges exonerated 12 Defendant Officers for the arrest of Plaintiff; despite media exposes of excessive and deadly force 13 practices by individual officers, no investigation is initiated or effectively pursued; and Defendant 14 City and Chief Borges returned Defendant Officers to active police duty and cleared them of any 15 wrongdoing. Id. at ¶ 24. These allegations are sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss. 16 Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Monell claim is DENIED. 17 18 19 B. 42 U.S.C. §1986 Claim Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiff‟s 42 U.S.C. § 1986 claim on the basis of Plaintiff‟s 20 failure to allege a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1985. Defendants contend that to state a claim under 21 Section 1985, Plaintiff must allege that Defendants acted from racial or other class-based animus. 22 Defendants are partially correct. 23 Section 1986 imposes liability on any person who knows of a conspiracy to violate civil 24 rights and has the power to prevent the violation, but refuses or neglects to do so. 42 U.S.C. § 25 26 1986; Delta Sav. Bank v. United States, 265 F.3d 1017, 1024 (9th Cir. 2001). A claim can be 27 asserted under Section 1986 only if a claim is asserted under Section 1985. McCalden v. Cal. 28 Library Ass’n, 955 F.2d 1214, 1223 (9th Cir. 1992). Section 1985 proscribes conspiracies to 10 1 interfere with civil rights. Sanchez v. City of Santa Ana, 936 F.2d 1027, 1039 (9th Cir. 1990). 2 Section 1985 has three subdivisions: (1) “preventing officer from performing duties,” (2) 3 4 5 “obstructing justice; intimidating party, witness, or juror,” and (3) “depriving persons of rights and privileges.” 42 U.S.C. § 1985. The Complaint does not identify the Section 1985 subdivision 6 under which Plaintiff is asserting a claim; however, it does not contain sufficient allegations to 7 maintain a claim under any subdivision of Section 1985. 8 Section 1985(1) applies exclusively to federal officers and federal office holders. Canlis v. 9 San Joaquin Sheriff’s Posse Comitatus, 641 F.2d 711, 717 (9th Cir. 1981). Plaintiff does not 10 allege that he is or ever was a federal officer. 11 12 13 14 Section 1985(2) contains two clauses that give rise to separate causes of action. Bagley v. CMC Real Estate Corp., 923 F.2d 758, 763 (9th Cir. 1991). To state a claim under the first clause of Section 1985(2), Plaintiff must allege the following elements: “(1) a conspiracy by the 15 defendants; (2) to injure a party or witness in his person or property; (3) because he attended 16 federal court or testified in any matter pending in federal court; (4) resulting in injury or damages 17 to the plaintiff.” Portman v. Cnty. of Santa Clara, 995 F.2d 898, 909 (9th Cir. 1993). There is no 18 requirement of class-based animus to state a claim under the first clause of Section 1985(2). Id. 19 Here, Plaintiff has not alleged a conspiracy by Defendants to injure him or his property because 20 21 he attended federal court or testified in any matter pending in federal court. 22 The second clause of Section 1985(2) gives rise to a cause of action where “two or more 23 persons conspire for the purpose of impeding, hindering, obstructing, or defeating, in any manner, 24 the due course of justice in any State or Territory, with intent to deny to any citizen the equal 25 protection of the laws . . ..” 42 U.S.C. § 1985(2). “It is well-settled that the „equal protection‟ 26 27 28 language of the second clause of section 1985(2) requires an allegation of class-based animus for the statement of a claim under that clause.” Portman, 995 F.2d at 909. Here, Plaintiff has not 11 1 alleged that any Defendant denied him access to state courts because he was a member of a 2 protected class. 3 To assert a cause of action under Section 1985(3), Plaintiff must prove three elements: “(1) 4 5 6 the existence of a conspiracy to deprive the plaintiff of equal protection of the laws; (2) an act in furtherance of the conspiracy and (3) a resulting injury.” Addisu v. Fred Meyer, Inc., 198 F.3d 7 1130, 1141 (9th Cir.2000). Plaintiff must also identify the deprivation of a legally protected right 8 motivated by “some racial, or perhaps otherwise class-based, invidiously discriminatory animus 9 behind the conspirators‟ action.” Griffith v. Breckenridge, 403 U.S. 88, 102, 91 S.Ct. 1790 10 (1971). Here, Plaintiff does not allege that he was a member of a protected class or that 11 Defendants conspired to discriminate Plaintiff on the basis of his membership in the protected 12 13 14 class. The Complaint does not sufficiently assert a claim under any of the three clauses of Section 15 1985. Because a Section 1986 claim cannot be asserted without a Section 1985 claim, see 16 McCalden v. Cal. Library Ass’n, 955 F.2d 1214, 1223 (9th Cir. 1992), Plaintiff‟s Section 1986 17 claim fails. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s 42 U.S.C. § 1986 claim is GRANTED with 18 leave to amend. 19 V. CONCLUSION 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 For the reasons stated, Defendants‟ Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part, as follows: 1. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fifth Amendment claim and Fourteenth Amendment Due Process claim is GRANTED WITH PREJUDICE. 2. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment excessive force claim, Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection claim, and 42 U.S.C. § 1986 claim is 27 28 GRANTED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND. 12 1 3. Defendants‟ motion to dismiss Plaintiff‟s Fourth Amendment unlawful arrest claim, 2 claims against Chief Borges in his individual supervisory capacity, and Monell claim is 3 DENIED. 4 4. Plaintiff may file an amended Complaint that is consistent with this Order within twenty 5 (20) days of service of this Order. 6 5. If Plaintiff does not file a timely amended Complaint, then Defendants may file an answer 7 8 within twenty-seven (27) days of service of this Order. 9 10 11 IT IS SO ORDERED. 12 13 Dated: November 10, 2011 CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE DEAC_Signature-END: 14 0m8i788 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 13

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