Clayton v. Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department et al

Filing 24

ORDER dismissing as moot 8 Motion to Dismiss; dismissing as moot 9 Motion to Dismiss; granting 13 Motion to leave to file third amended complaint. Signed by Judge William T. Moore, Jr on 5/25/18. (wwp)

u.s.
Di5rhFin,.,,,,.,
I
DISTRICT COURT
THE UNTTED S
DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
THE
DIVI SION

IN

roR

SAVA s "nYl,''
il,*ii

iriSHA

CLERfi

sE.DETj.-F}T-

ALEXANDRIA M. CLAYTON,

PIaintiff,.
C A S E N O . C V 4 1 5 93
I
SAVANNAH CHATHAM METROPOLIIIAN
P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T ;O F T I C E R
and
RANDYVEAI-, indjvidualLy
Irl

1r.L5

^:
^ct:
Ul!rL-L

- l
o I

^-^-^i
talJoLrLy, r\r.

SGT. CLARENCEFEW,
i ^ r l i r r r r - l r r :l l r i

anrJ in

his

-^--".
!-aPau!Ly.

I PT.
ur ! r(,'|crr
CEDRICPHILLIPS, individuaJ 1y
and j n his of f ic ia 1 capacit y,'
G
SGT. TORRINCE ARV]N.

i-.lir.id

re--v

arcl

'r

his

^ , , u y .. ^ P T . M I K E
e
\,qPqt!
Wt . L L I A M S , i n d i v i d u a L Jy a n d i n
l.i.^..r^']a.^.^.^rty;SGT'

CLEVELAND LOVETT,
irclivir"lrrallv
ancl in
^'-"'
UI.L,LUId-L
LoPo\-rtYt

his
""AJOR
rr.

JULIE TOLBERT, AcL j ng Ch j ef,
:nnirriel rrllv
a'lri ''r her
' r-i e I r-anar-i tv;
al |
SGT.

NICOLE KOHLES,individually
capacLty;
and in her o[[iciaf
,
C P L . K E I T H R I C H A R D S O NS t a r
f -v rrP v _ o '_ .
L n nnrr l

l "y

indirzidrr:l

rh
rr!

-h.j
aLru

capacity,'
SCT.
his official
HEWETT,
CHRISTOPHER
individua.ly
and in his

of f ic jal capac i Ly; CPT. DEVON
and 1n
ADAMS, individually
hi s ofticial
capaciLy; CPT.
and
B E N H E R O N ,i n d i v i d u a l l y
capacity;
ir. his official
SANTANA ILLIS, PAtTOl
W
nf Fiaor
h1c

indirridrraII'.

^ff1^1.|

lAl"LDl-\/l -n\./\Jrl

-:h^-1r\/.

y

--,-r
orru

'r!rr

qf:T

: _ rr --r.lr1^
I J I ( . l l v l u u u t t )| / t \ /

and in her officj

aI

38

capac iLv,'

N I K E Y A , N E L S O N ,C o m r n u n r t y
Resource Officer,
and in her
individuaLly
uoyoer

u-L I -L\-!ct1

r +y- . .
L
,

oETH
u

R O B I N S O N ,H u m a n R e s o u r c e
i .n d i v - l d , r a 1 I y a n d i n
Direcror,
capacitY; SYLVIA
her official
PERRY,Empfoyee Relations
.^^r,-li^.t-^r

'

i n d i r r i . l ' - -u u a - L t y
-

^-!
arru

capacity;
in her official
CUTTER,
STEPHAN]E
and in her
lndividuafly
^ r - .l .' . 'v ' H r E F
(r-Lr -LL rar
L
Layovl
WILLIE LOVETT, indjv iduallY
capacitY;
and in his officjaL
GEORGIA; and
COUNTY,
CHATHAM
CITY OF SAVANNAH,by and
through the Mayor and
Al de rmen ;
Defendants

ORDER
Before
Ejle

the

P-Laintiff 's

reasons,
pending

(Doc. 13 . )

Amended Complainc

Third

Motions

motion
Dismiss

to

E^r

l s r h! a
r

^
a

G R A I i I T E D1 1 >
.

is

(Doc.

for

Motion

Plaintlff's

is

Court

B;

Doc.

9)

€nl

I nuli

nn

!v+!vYrlirY

-^ ^,,1
rs-urLt

are

to

Leave

|

L-^r)-

DISMISSED

AS MOOT.
BACKGROUND
This

case

Aicnrimin:rinn

several
Mat

r.rr'\.\l

involves
r -l i
- -a J -

offl cers
i l- :n

amended her

rl

drru

PoIice
anmnlrinl-

r^tsr^'-

^-r

i

srrLP-rwy sE r

Tlah:rl-mani

two

^^-,.--l

of

race

of

affegations

l.:r:qqyFn-

the
Dl:i

occas.ions,

and

AY qrr a ri J LS
o a r n

Savannah
nt

i f f

once

sex

Chatham

nrorri

to

r

nrre lrr

remove a

named de lendant.,

and once to

and the

Savannah.

of

leave

seeks

City

to

nrovides

fife

(Doc. 3;

a

arJdi f ion:I

a d d D ef e n d a n t s

third

far-rrr:l

Charham CounLy

'7.)

Doc.

Pfalntiff

now

amended complaint,

.:llenrl

ir-rne

in

which

errnn/-\rt-

nf

JsPPvr

har

claims.
Defendants
-P.)

T-

yFsnclnsF-

f heir

proposed

Plaintiff's
faifs

sLiII

to

contend

that

(Doc.

futile.

Defendants

lacts

rhaL,

at

that

lrrlrrl

rr

permitting
d !p u e r r
v rl

),

prej udice the Municipaf

fn

rt hr c q cc
I gJ

j

Defendants.

woul d

MunicipaL

fh:t-

she

supporr

DefendanLs

amendments are

addition,

rhe

plaintiff

Municipal

to

nrnr-aarj

ina9J
c
l L

},!UtEgul

(Id.

Doc.

because

rrue,

proposed

5-13. )

I4;

'ur ^ r9 a u
| r u

futile

if

Similarly.

Plaintlff's

maintain
'.r-r.rl.i

.^nnr:int

18

-oFcnd;nl-c

|

amendments are

aIIege

(Doc.

motion.

1n-lirri'lrra

(Doc. 14 aL 2,)

her claims.
aLso

oppose Pfaintiff's

at

amend her
:nr.t
d jLLl

r rI n\ nurr ry l r z
u l ]

13-14.)

A}IAIY SI S
Federaf
party

to

written

Rule

of

"amend its
consent

courLs to

"freely

p_leading only

or

Circuit

Lhe ulLimace

purpose

have their
161

F.3d

the

give

The trleventh

pr:ocedure

Civil

court , s

1108

the

Court
of

of

leave. .,

Rule

Appeals
15(a)

(11th

is

It

Cir.

a]so

directs

recoqnized

.'t-o allow

2 A 1 4 1.

a

so requires. /, Id.

has

merits,.,

permits

opposing parcy,s

leave when justice

c.Laims heard on the
IAB2,

with

15 (a) (2)

In
In

re

parLies

that
to

Engfe Cases,
this

respect,

are

courts

district

'the

amend when

for

Motions

nAvis/

r'-o

":i

178,

^ r c r '' fi e , ,J .l lri r
pl6r ^J c

,<o

rl

rrrzirra

lnurod.

nl u
y ' r jo is' rrud i
r

.-a

amendmenL would

of

F^rllF.

1G1

/lnATafi

na

c.ad

nnnoqirr.l

n' ^
y t

Bryant

v.

11aq
qr1

Frnr'e

r-

E.2d

^r i-^
I51 4,

L "r: a: -c t - 6 r
., - L
I5'18-1 9

Leave to

amend can aLso be denied due to

nl:inr

,c

^l i cm

i

Ff

i ece-

(11th

cnmnl:inr

R,-r^6-

Henderson,
P.jJA\/F--

A-\/

bv

supported
/--i-i-.r
In

this

permirring

:mcnda'l

(quoting

.ltr.is

r^rnrrl d

Halliburton

114 t.2d

-^

44I ,

n^^"

substantiaf

a-^a.ra

- ! ,\

/:

clr

PlajnLiff

Ii)

where

252

Dupree,

passage of
V.

F.3d

wr.l L supporL

Intrl

(11th

tjme.

UniOn

futility

of

1991) ) .

Cir.

where the
qrrl-ria.r

rom:in

fo

444 (11th

l^-"^

reasons.

Laurie

the
to

Court

is

amend her

unable

Inc.

& Assoc.,

tO

Cir.

amend

v.

Afa.

? c 6 F , 3 d 1 2 6 6 , L 2 14 ( 1 1 t h C i r .

case,

wottld

^^rh

Ki^^

Few & Co.,
aLLt

I

:c

1999)

Cir.

rT

or

amendmenLs

amcndmcnt

Lo amend, noL Lhe sjmple
al

m o Li v e ,

by

onLy undue delay

2001).

Cjr.

leave

denial

r hc

furi-]-e. "

be

1163 (11th

1161,

l-rl

"

where

"(1)

dilatory

_ln.t
^r'r^
or ruwflr9

\L)

refied

reLief.'

denied

deliciencies

to

(L962)).

I82

amend may be

cure

Lo

of

subject

371 U.S.

to

leave

feave

circumstances

has been undue deIay,' bad faith,

there

e r

or

may be a proper

/ r - r r r n if n r r F . - \ m : n \ /

grant

"liberally

facts

underlying

upon b y a p l a i n t i f f
T.'l

to

directed

to

complainL

1985)).
m-SL

be

Court

of

2001).

conclude
would

that

ejrher

prejudice

undue

cause

Plaintiff's

I ace

tL-r hr r i r fL t r r c l a r z c e a - c r
r

to

r han

pa rcy
t-icrrut,LY

r e s o l r ' - r o nI

Wlth

The

unwarranted.
i .v1r ^ . o

factuaL
the

motion

to

, rr-f

i r rrY
rr r

hrr

the

Therefore.

relied

crrl^'iarr

iaf

File

af

rol

at
Third

182).

.

'/

lL-v^

hesitant

to

u,:-h

Rule

n l pL r
'

futife
-aqnect

761

F

"the

-1.1

Aj-

Plaintiff's

As a re$uft,

Amended comllalnt
I
i

5

To be fair'

survive

a

litigation,
delermine
absence of

these

under

claims.

the

underlying
may be
-1n

of

ability

the
to

rObUSt

mOre

the

in

a plaintiff

uipon by

nineteen

conclusively

that

15 (a)

a

ultimately
of

is

futility

the

concerning

the

DefendanLs'

cfaims.

to

21.)

adds

vl

stayed

revlewed

on

FrOVide

stage

befieves

F, . Y
! , n

based

this

n:rj-iFq

Court

circumstances

371 u.S.

-

""

mandated by

standard

doubt

:mendments are
a

"t

wir-h

complaint

claims

At

CoLrrr is

1-h:t l ho nrnnaqed
x r : au '
f
,

along

Plaintiff's

ser.ious

dismiss.

has

any

to

(DOC,

Court

- - - ^ - r^Lrr P L
Ls

Pfaintiff's

of

che

rjrsniSS.

the

anended

third

harbors

aff

'o

dismissal

scenar.io underfying

however,

to

was subseguencly

m.\-i,.-\ne

that

nua rIaur: r : unl ,h r^
J!
r r
P

Court

some or

fr

wnich

futility'

finds

and

Motions

the-lr

f il"ed

was made prior

amended complainc,

third

responses,

F.\/
e,,/

to

respect

proposed

:.lii-

oF
vr

vrr

amend was filed

request

commencing discovery,

-,onrj.n^

s

in

exercise

an

to

Ieave

leferclanf

the

Moreover,

Dismiss.

for

request

futility.

be

or

delay,

or

LiberaL
facts
a

'/-,.-r..r

must be granted.

proper
!-r'\n:.

\YqverlrY

Motion

or

for

Leave

CONCI,USION
For

the

Leave to

File

As a

resulL,

foregoing
Third

reasons/

Pfaintiff's

Amended Complaint

boLh pending

Motions

to

(Doc.

Motlon
13)

Dj smiss

is

for

GRAIiITED.

(Doc. 8;

Doc.

9) are DISMISSED AS MOOT.

So ORDERED is 2f,*aay
tn

of May 2018.

W I L L T A M T . M O O R E ,J R .
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN ISTR]CT OF GEORG]A
D