Kendrick v. County of San Diego et al
Filing
106
ORDER Denying 102 Plaintiff's Motion for Chuman Certification. The Court continues the stay of the case in its entirety pending a ruling on Defendants' interlocutory appeal. The hearing set on July 13, 2018 shall be vacated. Signed by Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel on 7/10/18. (dlg)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
10
11
12
CYNTHIA KENDRICK, individually,
and as successor in interest to her now
deceased husband, GARY KENDRICK,
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Case No.: 15cv2615-GPC(AGS)
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S
MOTION FOR CHUMAN
CERTIFICATION
Plaintiff,
v.
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO; SAN
DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT; San Diego Sheriff
WILLIAM GORE; San Diego Sheriff’s
Deputy STEVEN BLOCK; and DOES 1
through 50,
Defendants.
20
21
Before the Court is Plaintiff’s motion for Chuman1 certification. (Dkt. No. 102.)
22
23
24
25
26
Defendants filed an opposition. (Dkt. No. 104.) Plaintiff filed a reply. (Dkt. No. 105.)
After a review of the briefs, and the applicable law, the Court DENIES Plaintiff’s motion
for Chuman certification.
////
27
28
1
Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104 (9th Cir. 1991).
1
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
Background
2
This 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleges numerous causes of action arising out of the
3
shooting death of Gary Kendrick by Deputy Steven Block and the subsequent alleged
4
seizure of Gary’s wife, Cynthia Kendrick by Lieutenant Brown-Lisk, Detective Barnes,
5
Detective Hillen, Sergeant Lopez, Deputy Norie, Deputy Collis and Deputy Worthington.
6
(Dkt. No. 61.)
7
On March 14, 2018, the Court granted in part and denied in part Defendants’
8
motion for summary judgment. (Dkt. No. 85.) Relevant to the instant Chuman motion,
9
the Court denied Defendants’ motion based on qualified immunity. (Id. at 24-31.2)
10
On the first prong of the qualified immunity analysis, the Court concluded that
11
based on the facts alleged by Plaintiff, “Deputy Block acted unreasonably and violated
12
Gary’s constitutional right to be free from excessive force”, (id. at 26), and that the seven
13
individual Defendants acted unreasonably and violated Cynthia’s constitutional right to
14
be free from an unreasonable seizure. (Id.)
15
On the second prong as to whether the constitutional right was clearly established
16
at the time of the challenged conduct, the Court held that as to Deputy Block, “it was
17
clearly established that shooting Gary with his arms outstretched and parallel to the
18
ground with a shotgun in one hand and a liquor bottle in the other hand, without any
19
further movements or gestures, was a violation of Gary’s Fourth Amendment rights to be
20
free from excessive force” under George v. Morris, 736 F.3d 829 (9th Cir. 2013). (Id. at
21
30.) As to the claim for unreasonable seizure of Cynthia by the seven individual
22
Defendants, the Court concluded that under Maxwell v. Cnty. of San Diego, 708 F.3d
23
1075 (9th Cir. 2013), it was clearly established that detaining, separating and
24
interrogating Cynthia for hours was a violation of her Fourth Amendment right against
25
unreasonable seizure. (Id. at 30-31.)
26
27
28
2
Page numbers are based on the CM/ECF pagination.
2
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
On April 11, 2018, Defendants filed a notice of appeal of the Court’s order on
2
summary judgment. (Dkt. No. 97.) On May 9, 2018, the Court granted the parties’ joint
3
motion to vacate all remaining pre-trial dates pending the outcome of Defendants’
4
interlocutory appeal. (Dkt. Nos. 100, 101.) The Court also stayed the case for
5
administrative purposes. (Dkt. No. 101.) On May 11, 2018, Plaintiff filed a motion for
6
Chuman certification seeking a ruling that the interlocutory appeal is frivolous, that the
7
Court retain jurisdiction over the entire action and proceed with trial. (Dkt. No. 102.)
8
Defendants oppose.
9
Discussion
10
The United States Supreme Court has recognized a narrow exception that allows
11
an interlocutory appeal of a denial of summary judgment based on qualified immunity.
12
Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511, 530 (1985). An appeal of an order denying qualified
13
immunity “normally divests the district court of jurisdiction to proceed with trial[;]”
14
however, under the Ninth Circuit;s decision in Chuman v. Wright, 960 F.2d 104, 105 (9th
15
Cir. 1992), a district court “may certify the appeal as frivolous and may then proceed
16
with trial[.]” Padgett v. Wright, 587 F.3d 983, 985 (9th Cir. 2009) (citing Mitchell, 472
17
U.S. at 530). Under Chuman, “[s]hould the district court find that the defendants’ claim
18
of qualified immunity is frivolous,” it “may certify, in writing, that defendants have
19
forfeited their right to pretrial appeal, and may proceed with trial.” Chuman, 960 F.2d at
20
105. If a district court certifies an appeal as frivolous, the defendant may then apply to
21
the Ninth Circuit for a discretionary stay. Id. at 105 n.1.
22
“An appeal is frivolous if it is wholly without merit.” United States v. Kitsap
23
Physicians Serv., 314 F.3d 995, 1003 n. 3 (9th Cir. 2002) (quoting Amwest Mortgage
24
Corp. v. Grady, 925 F.2d 1162, 1165 (9th Cir. 1991)). A qualified immunity claim is
25
frivolous if it “is unfounded, so baseless that it does not invoke appellate jurisdiction.”
26
Marks v. Clarke, 102 F.3d 1012, 1017 n.8 (9th Cir. 1996) (citation omitted). An appeal
27
of qualified immunity defense may not be made based on whether there are genuine
28
issues of material fact at issue. Rodriguez v. Cnty. of Los Angeles, 891 F.3d 776, 791
3
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
(9th Cir. 2018) (an appellate court has jurisdiction “over issues that do not require
2
resolution of factual disputes, including in cases where officers argue that they have
3
qualified immunity, assuming the facts most favorable to the plaintiff.”); Adams v.
4
Speers, 473 F.3d 989, 990-91 (9th Cir. 2007) (the defendant “can make an interlocutory
5
appeal from the ruling on immunity only if he accepts as undisputed the facts presented
6
by the appellees”)).
7
Plaintiff argues that as to Deputy Block, Defendants’ appeal is frivolous as the
8
Court properly denied qualified immunity based on clearly established law under George
9
v. Morris, 736 F.3d 829 (9th Cir. 2013). As to the unreasonable seizure claim by
10
Cynthia, Plaintiff argues that the case of Maxwell v. Cnty. of San Diego, 708 F.3d 1075
11
(9th Cir. 2013) put the individual defendants on notice that their actions would violate the
12
Fourth Amendment.
13
Defendants do not substantively challenge the denial of qualified immunity as to
14
Deputy Block. Instead, they primarily argue that the Court’s order on qualified immunity
15
as to the seven individual Defendant deputies and detectives who conducted an
16
investigation after the incident are entitled to a separate determination that the law
17
governing their actions was clearly established. They assert that the Court failed to
18
consider the action of each person individually based on the facts known to each of them
19
so it was “obvious to all reasonable governmental actors, in the defendant’s place, that
20
what he is doing violates the federal law.” (Dkt. No. 104 at 2.) They argue that the seven
21
deputies accused of an unlawful detention all acted based on different information and at
22
different times. (Id. at 3.) In reply, Plaintiff argues that Defendants’ argument is a red
23
herring as their argument relates to the sufficiency of the evidence and not a legal issue
24
falling within the appellate court’s limited jurisdiction to hear an interlocutory appeal
25
challenging a denial of qualified immunity.
26
When a defendant raises the defense of qualified immunity, the plaintiff bears the
27
burden of showing that the right allegedly violated was clearly established. Isayeva v.
28
Sacramento Sheriff’s Dep’t., 872 F.3d 938, 946 (9th Cir. 2017). To be clearly
4
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
established, “‘existing precedent must have placed the statutory or constitutional question
2
beyond debate’ although there need not be a “’case directly on point.’” White v. Pauly,
3
137 S. Ct. 548, 551 (2017) (quoting Mullenix v. Luna, 136 S. Ct. 305, 308 (2015)). “An
4
officer ‘cannot be said to have violated a clearly established right unless the right’s
5
contours were sufficiently definite that any reasonable official in his shoes would have
6
understood that he was violating it . . . .’” City & Cnty. of San Francisco v. Sheehan, 135
7
S. Ct. 1765, 1774 (2015) (quoting Plumhoff v. Rickard, 134 S. Ct. 2012, 2023 (2014)).
8
Courts must not define “clearly established law at a high level of generality.” Ashcroft v.
9
al-Kidd, 563 U.S. 731, 742 (2011). Instead, “the clearly established law must be
10
‘particularized’ to the facts of the case.” White, 137 S. Ct. at 552 (quoting Anderson v.
11
Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 640 (1987)).
12
In White, an officer met two women at an off ramp after they called 911 to report
13
Daniel Pauly as a “drunk driver” who was “swerving all crazy.” Id. at 549. Two
14
additional officers arrived after the women left. Id. While the officers agreed that there
15
was no probable cause to arrest Daniel Pauly, they decided to speak with him to get his
16
side of the story and find out if he was intoxicated. Id. White, the third officer, stayed
17
behind at the off-ramp in case Daniel returned. Id.
18
The two officers the approached Daniel’s home and parked their cars without any
19
flashing lights. Id. The officers saw lights on in the second house behind the first house
20
and walked to that house. Id. They used their flashlights intermittently, and upon
21
reaching the house, saw Daniel Pauly’s vehicle, and saw Daniel and his brother, Samuel
22
Pauly, moving around inside the home. Id. The officers radioed White to join them. Id.
23
The Pauly brothers became aware of the presence of the officers and shouted out to
24
inquire who they were. Id. The officers yelled back but the brothers did not hear the
25
officers identify themselves as state police. Id. at 550. Instead, they heard someone
26
yelling “We’re coming in. We’re coming in.” Id.
27
28
White parked at the first house and started walking up when he heard shouting
from the second house. Id. He arrived as he heard one of the Pauly brothers say “We
5
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
have guns.” Id. White drew his gun and took cover. Id. Daniel fired two shots, and
2
then Samuel pointed a handgun in White’s direction. Id. One of the officers fired at
3
Samuel but missed and then White shot and killed Samuel. Id.
4
The Court held that Officer White who shot the victim did not violate a clearly
5
established right. Id. at 552. While the appellate court recognized the facts in the case
6
were unique due to Officer White’s late arrival on the scene, it nonetheless held that the
7
law was clearly established at the time of Samuel’s death that a “reasonable officer in
8
White’s position would believe that a warning was required despite the threat of serious
9
harm.” Id. at 551-52. Disagreeing with the appellate court, the Court explained that
10
“[c]learly established federal law does not prohibit a reasonable officer who arrives late
11
to an ongoing police action in circumstances like this from assuming that proper
12
procedures, such as officer identification, have already been followed. No settled Fourth
13
Amendment principle requires that officer to second-guess the earlier steps already taken
14
by his or her fellow officers in instances like the one White confronted here.” Id. The
15
lower courts erred erred by failing “to identify a case where an officer acting under
16
similar circumstances as [Defendants were] held to have violated the Fourth
17
Amendment.” Id. at 552.
18
In a § 1983 action where individual civil liability is at issue, an officer can be held
19
subject to personal liability “only for his or her own knowledge.” Ingram v. City of Los
20
Angeles, 418 F. Supp. 2d 1182, 1190 (C.D. Cal. 2006) (citing United States v. Hensley,
21
469 U.S. 221, 232 (1985)). In a subsequent decision in Chuman, the Ninth Circuit
22
rejected the “team effort” theory that the trial judge instructed to the jury allowing the
23
jury to lump the defendants together, rather than requiring the jury to make a
24
determination as to each individual’s liability. Chuman v. Wright, 76 F.3d 292, 295 (9th
25
Cir. 1996) (jury instruction error where “team effort” theory improperly removes
26
individual liability and “allows a jury to find a defendant liable on the ground that even if
27
the defendant had not role in the unlawful conduct, he would nonetheless be guilty if the
28
conduct was the result of a ‘team effort.’”).
6
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
Here, in her opposition to Defendants’ summary judgment motion, Plaintiff cited
2
3
to Maxwell to argue that the law was clearly established that officers cannot detain,
4
separate and interrogate the plaintiff for hours where there was no probable cause, no
5
reasonable suspicion of a crime, no detention incident to a search and it was not to
6
prevent the destruction of evidence. Id. at 1084-85. In Maxwell, while the specific issue
7
of an individual inquiry as to each officer was not raised, the Ninth Circuit did not
8
conduct an analysis as to each individual Sheriff’s deputy but lumped them in together as
9
“Sheriff’s officers.” 708 F.3d at 1081, 1084 (“We conclude that the Sheriff’s officers
10
were on notice that they could not detain, separate, and interrogate the Maxwells for
11
hours.”).
12
The Court recognizes that clearly established law must be particularized to the
13
facts of each individual defendant. See White, 137 S. Ct. at 552. However, officers in
14
the subsequent chain of the alleged seizure may also rely on the conduct of prior officers
15
that proper procedures were followed. Id. Therefore, as to the seven individual
16
defendants on the unreasonable seizure claim by Cynthia Kendrick, the Court concludes
17
the appeal is not frivolous and declines to certify it as such under Chuman.
18
On the issue of excessive force by Deputy Block, the Court disagrees with
19
Defendants and concludes it is clearly established by the Ninth Circuit ruling in George
20
v. Morris, 736 F.3d 829 (9th Cir. 2013) that Deputy Block’s conduct, relying on
21
Plaintiff’s version of the facts, was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Therefore,
22
Defendants’ appeal of the qualified immunity ruling concerning Deputy Block is
23
frivolous.
24
Because the facts underlying the qualified immunity analyses are intertwined as to
25
all the Defendants, the case will be stayed pending resolution of the interlocutory appeal
26
in order to conserve judicial resources.
27
////
28
////
7
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
1
Conclusion
2
Based on the reasoning above, the Court DENIES Plaintiff’s motion for Chuman
3
certification. The Court continues the STAY of the case in its entirety pending a ruling
4
on Defendants’ interlocutory appeal. The hearing set on July 13, 2018 shall be vacated.
5
IT IS SO ORDERED.
6
7
Dated: July 10, 2018
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
8
15cv2615-GPC(NLS)
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?