Gardner v. Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Police Department et al

Filing 27

MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Samuel G. Wilson on 06/10/2013. (rkc)

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By:Sam ue G . is
l W l on
U nied St es Di t ctJudge
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Thi i a a to bypr s pli ifRoge L.Ga dne ptrua t 42U. C.j 1
s s n cin
o e antf
r
r r ls nt o
S.
983
a ns t Bl ks lg PolceDe rme ,t Chrsins zg Polc De t t a anumbe
gai t he ac btr
i
pa t nt he ita btr
i e parmen , nd
r
ofBl ks z g a Chr s i ns g polc ofi e si t i ofi i lca ii s a i i outoft
ac blr nd
i ta bur
i e fc r n he r fc a pac te , r sng
he
de e nt 'w a r t bas s r h ofG a dne ' hom e. G a dne cl i s t tt de e n s
f nda s r an - ed ea c
r rs
r r a m ha he f nda t

obt i ac tt i ly defce wa r nta ca e outas a ch ofhi home i or rt
aned onsiutona l i int ra nd ni d
er
s
n de o
ha a sa i i dae Ga dne a hi wie The Chrsins lg Polc De rme ,Chi fM a k
r s nd ntmi t r r nd s f .
ita btr
i e pa t nt
e r
Si s ofi rKet Spenc and ofkerCuri Br
s on, tce ih
es
t
ts own ha fl amoton t dim isGa d rs
ve ied
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c ai purua t Fe r lRul ofCi lPr e e1 b)6)
ompl nt s nt o de a e
vi oc dur 2( ( .TheBlcks gPolc
a bur ie
De rme ,Chi fKi ry Cr nni, ofie Rya Hie ha fl asm ia m o i n t
pa t nt
e mbe l a s and fc r n t ve ied i lr to o
i , he e nt gue ha he our houl s s r r s
dim is1 1 bot m otons t def nda sar t tt c ts d dimi sGa dne '
s s. n h
com pl ntbecaus he has sued t o m t ci enttes and severalem pl
ai
e
w
mi pal ii
oyees oft
hose enttes i
ii n

t i ofi alc pa ii , ha f ie t al gea ofii lpolc orcusom b whih t
her fci a ctes but s a ld o le n fc a iy
t
y c he
de e nt de i d Ga d rofhi Fourh Ame m e rgh s
f nda s prve
r ne
s
t
nd nt i t .The c ta e wih t
our gr és t he

d fn a t a dds se Gad e ' c mpli t t u p eu ie
e e d n s n imis s r n rs o an wi t rj dc .
ho
1Gar ras s ç denii polc ofie s'fo bot de rme s
dne lo ues t
uni tftd ie fc r ' r m h pa t nt.

r

1.

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d r le s ha n he
ni
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a
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be r ove i fom t ti e bypas szge y heha u r
d ec rng r he rpls lr r
d nde gonea we k ea le .Ashe ly i
e ri r
a n
be Ga dnerl d outt wi
d, r
ooke
he ndow and s appr m ael tn polc ofi r a oa ng t
aw
oxi t y e
ie fce s ppr chi he
r a ofhi homt. Ga dne a e t hi wie M e is a s me t ofier a t ba k door
er
s
r r l red s f , ls a, nd he t he fc s t he c
.
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fc
n t
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ra o

s ac f rsoe p o ry.Ov rt eGad e s o j cin , f c r fo teBlc bzga d
e rh o t ln r pet
e h r n r ' b e to s o t e s r m h a ks l n
i
r
Chrsins zg Polc De rme se e e t Ga d r 'ho e a s ntm or t n a hotr
ita blr
i e pa t nt ntr d he r ne s m nd pe
e ha n l
s a c ng r sa cos t . Gar
e r hi oom nd l e s
dnera lgest toneoft ofi e sor r d hi outofhi be
le
ha
he fc r de e m
s d
s t tofk e sc d i pe tt beddi a pa Ga dne down.Theofi r di notfndt
o ha t r oul ns c he
ng nd t r r
tce s d
i he
alege s ol pr ry a e nt l l f .
l d t en ope t nd ve ualy e t

Ga dne a lge t thi wie i a outpoke crtcofl l1w e or men .Hec am s
r r le s ha s f s n s n ii
oca a nf ce t
li
t tOfi rHie r le on not ng mor t n asa e ntfom a S t l il s hi ophr ni ,
ha fce t ei d
hi
e ha t t me r
ç aly l, c z e c
men
m or neaddit d hos cepa int'i hi applca i f t s r h wa r nt t tHie
phi
ce
pi
te ' n s
i ton or he ea c
r a ,ha t
i ir pr e e t f t' a ç aiedt c
t se es ntd he ac s' nd t l o onduc at r
m
f
t ho ough i tgai ' or a yi f
nvesi ton'bef e ppl ng or
t wa r nt a t tt polc us d t s a c t i tm i t a r t la ea ns t Ga d r .
he ra , nd ha he i e e he e r h o n i da e nd e a it gai t he r ne s

Compl 3, ECF No.4.Ga dne s eks$750, i dn a s.
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r re
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Thede enda sa g t tGa dne ' c
f nt r ue ha r r s ompl n f ist saea cai bec us i na e t
ait a l o tt l m
a e t m s wo
m unii le ii and s ve a e oye oft e e ii i t i ofk ilca cii s bu doesnot
c pa nttes
e r l mpl es hos nttes n he r t a pa te , t
a tm ptt s
te
o how t ta de e ntde i d Ga dne ofhi rght by mea ofa ofi a polc
ha ny f nda
prve
r r
si s
ns n fcil iy
orcus om . The courtagr tndst Gar
t
ees, i
hat dner' com pl ntf l t s at a cl m ,and di m i es
s
ai ais o t e ai
s ss

t c mplitwi u p eudc .
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Tos vveaRul 1 b)6)moi t pladi mus c ai te
ur i
e 2( (
ton,he e ng t ont n çnoughfcst saea
a t o tt
c am t r ift ti pl usbl on isf c ' BelAt.
l i o ele ha s a i e t a e. l l Com . Two bl 550U . 544,570
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v. m y,
S.

(
2007)(iai omitd) Coursmus lbeal c t epr s co ai s Erc onv.Pa d ,
ctton te .
t t i rly onsnz o e mpl nt, iks
r ue

5 U. 8 , 4( 0 7 , n a c p tecama tsfcu l le ainsa t e He Gr u LLC
51 S. 9 9 2 0 ) a d c e t h li n ' a ta alg to s nl. mi o p.
v. t o N. ,5 9U. 1 5( 01 ) we r ti tn ti tna pia l t lg l o cuso s
Ciy f Y. 5 S. , 2 0 .Ho ve,h s e e s s p lc b e o e a c n l in .
i
Thr a r r cial oft ee e sofa c us ofa ton,s
e dba e e t s he lm nt
a e c i uppo td by m e e c l or
re
r oncus y

sae n s d n ts fie' As co t lba, 5 U. 6 2 6 8( 0 9 .
ttme t, o o u fc . h r f v. q l 5 6 S. 6 , 7 2 0 )
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Fe r lcourstea cli sa ns Vigi amuni i polc de rm e sascli
de a
t r t am gai t r ni
cpal i e pa t nt
a ms
a ns t munii ii t ms l s See e. , ar v.Huds 549 F.Supp.
gai t he
cpaltes he e ve . . g.He n
on,
949,952 n.
1

( . Va.1 2)Cd'eca ciy ofagovenme a uni t bes di f rlc tst be
W D. 98 -h pa t
f
r ntl t o ue n edea our i o

d tr n db r frnc t saelw.( d. Ci . 1 ()) l a p ast a n t i i Vigna
ee mie y eee e o tt a Fe R. v P. 7b . t p e r h t ohng n r ii
1 w r ogni s m uni i polc de rm e s a enttess par t f o t rr pe tve
a ec ze
c pal i e pa t nt s ii e a e r m hei es c i
m uni i lte . N ordoesan hi i V igi a 1 w s
c pa ii s
yt ng n r ni a uppor a die ta ton aga ns a polce
t rc ci
i t
i

de rme asa e iys part fom t munii iyisl. Btmlyv. wood,
pa t nt n ntt e ae r he
cpalt tef' z e Nor
);
No.
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1 v000264, 0W L 3063779,a * ( D.Va.
201
t 5 E.
Aug.4,201 (r tngcamsa ns t
0) teai li gai t he
RihmondPolc De rme a camsa i tt CiyofRihmond) Tohol amunii lt
c
ie pat nt s li gans he t
c
.
d
cpaiy
la eunde j 1 t pli ifmus alget tt munii iyde i dt pli ifo hi
ibl
r 983,he antf t le ha he
cpalt prve he antf f s
r g spur ua t a of i al i y orc t . See M o l v.D e tof Soc a Ser . Ciy of
i ht
s nt o n fci polc
us om
ne l
p'
i l vs of t

N. , 6U. 65 , 9 ( 9 8 ; ak rv. ic Ge r esCnv.M d.5 F.d4 6 4 ( t
Y.43 S. 8 6 4 1 7 ) W le Prn e o c ' t s , 75 3 2 , 31 4h
Ci.2009) Furhe ,toltcilca ciy s t ge r l rprs ntbuta he wa ofpla ngan
r
. t r çl fi a pa t uis nealy e e e
not r y
e di
a i a i tt e tt ofw hi h t ofi e i a a nt a da a m ay be a a de a i ta
cton ga ns he n iy
c he t c r s n ge , nd m ges
w r d ga ns

def nda i hi ofi i lca c t onl i t y woul ber co r bl agans t gove n e al
e nt n s fc a pa iy y f he
d e ve a e i t he
r m nt

3

e iyis f' Hughesv. a ns p,67 F. 403,406( hCi.1 2)(iain o te ;s
ntt tel.
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Blnke hi 2 2d
4t r 98 ctto mitd) ee

as Ke t c yv Grh m, 7 U. 1 9 1 5( 9 5 .
lo n u k . a n 4 3 S. 5 , 6 1 8 )
H e e,Ga dnerha s d t o m uni i ltesa a num be ofm uni i e pl esi t i
r
r
s ue w
c pa ii nd
r
c pal m oye n he r
of i alc pa ii , he hasf ied t m a a alega i w ha s
fci a c tes but
a l o ke ny l tons
t oeve r r ng a m uni pa
r ega di
ci l
polc orc t t tl t t c tt i na vi a i he alege . I t a Ga d rm e el
iy
usom ha ed o he ons iuto l ol ton
l s ns e d, r ne r y

des rbe t ofi er 'conduc durng t s r h,alege t tt s r h wa r n wa ba e on
c i s he fc s
t i he ea c l s ha he ea c
ra t s s d
not ng m or t n t w or ofa hea l m e c t d hos cepa i nt a c udest the i
hi
e ha he
d
viy di a e
pi
te , nd oncl
ha
s
e il d t dn age ba e on a Fourh A m e entvi a i G a dne ' co pl ntt r f e f is
ntte o m s s d
t
ndm
ol ton. r r s m ai he e or a l
t s a e a c ai a i tt polce de r m e s a t ofk er i t rof i a c pac tes l a
o t t l m ga ns he i
pa t nt nd he t s n hei fci l a ii . n ny

e ,e i Ga dne ha s d t polc ofi e si t i pe s lca c te , sc
vent ven f r r d ue he i e fc r n her r ona pa ii s hi ompli i
ant s
a m os entr l de d ofs c t f t la l t o r ar ng any pa tc a ofi er
l t i e y voi
pe ik ac ua lega i ns eg di
ri ul r fc .
A c or ngl t c tgr nt t de e nt m otons a di m i s Ga dne ' com pl nt
c di y, he our a s he f nda s' i
nd s s es r r s
ai
w ihou pr l di e.2
t t e' c
u
111.

Fort r as s a e t c tg a s t de e
he e ons t t d, he our r nt he f ndant 'm otonst di m i s
s
i o s s.
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u r ud me t v n h t rn r a o u p re i to t vie e r de n eius te to
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