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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA CHANEL FREEMAN : : No. 20-cv-3354-JMY vs. : : POLICE OFFICER JAMES MCGORRY : and THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA : MEMORANDUM Younge, J. August 1, 2022 Currently before the Court is a motion for summary judgment filed by the City of Philadelphia (Motion for Summary Judgment âMSJâ, ECF No. 46) and a partial motion for summary judgment filed by Police Officer James McGorry. (Partial Motion for Summary Judgment âPMSJâ, ECF No. 45.) The Court finds these motions appropriate for resolution without oral argument. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 78; L.R. 7.1(f). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant both motions and dismiss this lawsuit. I. Summary of Relevant Procedural and Factual Background: A. Procedural Summary: Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint (ECF No. 7) in which she alleges various constitutional violations pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983. Count I of the Amended Complaint states a claim against Officer McGorry for violation of the 4th, 5th, and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Id. ¶¶ 23-26.) Count II of her Amended Complaint states a Monell claim against the City under Monell v. Depât. of Soc. Serv., 436 U.S. 658, 691 (1987). (Id. ¶ 27-46.) Count III sets forth a claim for punitive damages. (Id. ¶¶ 47-48.) Count IV and V allege claims for assault and battery, false imprisonment (Id. ¶¶ 49-57) and intentional infliction of emotional distress. (Id. ¶¶ 58-61.) After filing the Amended Complaint and litigating a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, a dispute arose between Plaintiff and her attorney. (Motion to Withdraw as Attorney, ECF No. 33.) The Court permitted Plaintiffâs Counsel to withdraw (Order, ECF No. 38), and Plaintiff now proceeds pro se. B. Summary of Relevant Facts: The operative facts for Plaintiffâs claim arise from her arrest on July 13, 2018 following an alleged domestic dispute with her ex-boyfriend. (Am. Compl. ¶ 8 & 11; ECF No.7.) On July 9, 2018, Magistrate Judge James OâBrien issued a warrant for Plaintiffâs arrest on various criminal charges, including aggravated assault, robbery, and theft by unlawful taking. (Arrest Warrant, PMSJ Ex B, ECF No. 45.) Officer McGorry was not involved in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal case brought against Plaintiff. (McGorryâs Statement of Material Facts âSMFâ ¶ 3.) On July 13, 2018 at approximately 10:55 p.m., Officer McGorry and his partner, Officer Klock, arrested Plaintiff at her home pursuant to the arrest warrant. (SMF ¶ 5.) While in the process of conducting the arrest, Officer McGorry escorted Plaintiff to a police vehicleâshe was not in handcuffs. (SMF ¶ 7; Freeman Deposition pages 17-18, 20-21, PMSJ Ex. E, ECF No. 45.) During their walk to the police vehicle, Officer McGorry allegedly asked Plaintiff for her phone number so that he could take her on a date. (Amended Complaint ¶ 12.) Plaintiff obliged and gave Officer McGorry her phone number. (Id. ¶ 12.) As stated in the Amended Complaint, the next day on July 14, 2018, Officer McGorry texted Plaintiff and asked her to meet him later that night, and the couple met for a second time on the evening of July 14, 2018. (Id. ¶ 13.) During their second meeting, Officer McGorry told Plaintiff that he was friends with the detective who was handling her criminal case. (Id. ¶ 14.) He then allegedly told Plaintiff that he could speak to his friend and that the charges against her would be dropped if Plaintiff would agree to âdate [him], send pictures of herself when asked, and timely answer his texts and phone calls.â (Id.) Officer McGorry also offered to help Plaintiff resolve problems with her ex-boyfriend. (Id.) Four days later, on or about July 18, 2018, Officer McGorry and Plaintiff met for a walk along the Schuylkill River. (Id. ¶ 15.) Following their walk, the couple took a drive in Officer McGorryâs sport utility vehicle (SUV) to a secluded area where Officer McGorry allegedly instructed Plaintiff to get in to the back of the SUV. (Id. ¶ 15.) Officer McGorry allegedly âhad a gun in plain viewâ at the time. (Id.) According to Plaintiff, Officer McGorry attempted to rape her several times in the back of his SUV on July 18, 2018, but was unable to achieve an erection. (Id. ¶ 16-18.) Plaintiff alleges that Officer McGorry repeatedly attempted to communicate with her by phone and text messages following the July 18, 2018 incident. (Id.) Plaintiff avers that she received explicit photographs and that Officer McGorry requested nude photographs of Plaintiff. (Id.) Plaintiff further avers that the situation reached the point where Officer McGorry began stalking her and requesting information concerning her whereabouts. (Id.) Plaintiff ultimately contacted the Internal Affairs Bureau. (Id. ¶ 19.) II. Legal Standard: Summary Judgment is appropriate if the movant shows âthat there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.â Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Sweeney, 689 F.3d 288, 292 (3d Cir. 2012). To defeat a motion for summary judgment, there must be a factual dispute that is both genuine and material. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 24-49 (1986); Dee v. Borough of Dunmore, 549 F.3d 225, 229 (3d Cir. 2008). A material fact is one that âmight affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law[.]â Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248. A dispute over a material fact is âgenuineâ if, based on the evidence, âa reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.â Id. The movant bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine dispute of a material fact. Goldenstein v. Repossessors Inc., 815 F.3d 142, 146 (3d Cir. 2016). When the movant is the defendant, they have the burden of demonstrating that the plaintiff âhas failed to establish one or more essential elements of her case.â Burton v. Teleflex Inc., 707 F.3d 417, 425 (3d Cir. 2013). If the movant sustains their initial burden, âthe burden shifts to the nonmoving party to go beyond the pleadings and come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.â Santini v. Fuentes, 795 F.3d 410, 416 (3d Cir. 2015) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 (1986)). At the summary judgment stage, the courtâs role is not to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter, but rather to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial. See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249; Jiminez v. All Am. Rathskeller, Inc., 503 F.3d 247, 253 (3d Cir. 2007). In doing so, the court must construe the facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. See Horsehead Indus., Inc. v. Paramount Commcâns, Inc., 258 F.3d 132, 140 (3d Cir. 2001). Nonetheless, the court must be mindful that â[t]he mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the plaintiffâs position will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the plaintiff.â Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252. III. Discussion: The Court finds the arguments made by Defendants in their motions for summary judgment persuasive and will grant summary judgment on all of Plaintiffâs federal claims. The Court will decline to exercise jurisdiction over Plaintiffâs state law claims. In its motion for summary judgment, the City focuses primarily on the Plaintiffâs inability to establish a pattern of similar incidents of misconduct â deliberate indifference â which is generally required to establish a Monell claim. (MSJ page 3.) Officer McGorry argues that Plaintiffâs federal constitutional claims brought under the Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process clause and equal protection clause should be dismissed. (PSMJ page 1.) However, Officer McGorry does not move to entirely dispense with Plaintiffâs Fourteenth Amendment due process claim. (Id.) From a reading of the Amended Complaint, Officer McGorry infers that Plaintiff is advancing a substantive due process claim for violation of her right of privacyâa claim that Officer McGorry violated her right to bodily integrity. (Id. page 7-8.) He then declines to move for summary judgment on what he purports is Plaintiffâs substantive due process claim for violation of her privacy right to bodily integrity. (Id.) Officer McGorry further concedes that triable issues of material fact exist on Plaintiffâs claims brought under state law. (Id. page 1.) To the extent Officer McGorry seeks to have federal constitutional claims dismissed, the Court agrees with the arguments made by Officer McGorry. However, the Court takes issue with his contention that this lawsuit should proceed in federal court based on Plaintiffâs substantive due process claim for violation of her right of privacyâright to bodily integrity. The Court will sua sponte dismiss Plaintiffâs substantive due process claim. Finding no viable federal cause-of-action, the Court finds that federal question jurisdiction is lacking and will dismiss this lawsuit leaving Plaintiff to pursue her state law claims in state court. A. Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the City of Philadelphia: The Court will dismiss Plaintiffâs claims against the City because Plaintiff has failed to adduce any evidence to support a claim against the City under Monell v. New York City Dept. of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658 (1978). A municipality may be found liable under Section 1983 âwhere the municipality itself causes the constitutional violation at issue.â City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378, 385 (1989) (citing Monell, 436 U.S. at 694-95). Plaintiff has alleged that the City failed to train, supervise and/or investigate claims of sexual misconduct by Philadelphia Police Officers, and that the City failed to discipline Philadelphia Police Officers for sexual misconduct. (Amended Complaint ¶¶ 31-36.) As will be explained more fully below, Plaintiffâs Monell claim fails for multiple reasons, but the Courtâs primary justification for dismissing this claim is based on Plaintiffâs inability to establish that City officials were deliberately indifferent to a known risk. â[M]unicipal liability attaches under §1983 where â and only where â a deliberate choice to follow a course of action is made from among various alternativesâ by city policy makers. Pembaur v. City of Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469, 483-84 (1986). âDeliberate indifference is a stringent standard of fault, requiring proof that a municipal actor disregarded a known or obvious consequence of his action.â Connick v. Thompson, 563 U.S. 51, 61 (2011) (citing Board of Commârs of Bryan Cty. v. Brown, 520 U.S. 397, 403 (1997)). Plaintiff can show deliberate indifference by establishing (1) a pattern of conduct similar to the conduct at issue; and (2) failures to take constitutionally sufficient action as to this conduct. Connick, 563 U.S. at 62; Thomas v. Cumberland County, 749 F.3d 217, 223 (3d Cir. 2014). Plaintiffâs Monell claim against the City based on legal theories of failure to supervise, investigate or discipline Philadelphia Police Officers in relationship to civilian complaints about sexual misconduct will be dismissed. To succeed on a claim for failure to discipline or supervise, a plaintiff must establish âa municipalityâs deliberate indifference by showing that (1) the municipality knew its officers would require supervision or discipline; (2) there was a history of officer supervision or discipline being mishandled; and (3) in the absence of supervision or discipline, constitutional violations were likely to result.â Forrest v. Parry, 930 F.3d 93, 108 (3d Cir. 2019). Plaintiff has failed to come forward with evidence to establish that there was a similar pattern of misconduct that matches the fact pattern of her caseâPlaintiff has failed to establish deliberate indifference. In her Amended Complaint, Plaintiff cites to various examples of what she characterizes as previous instances of sexual misconduct committed by Philadelphia Police Officers. (Amended Complaint ¶¶ 34-36.) The Court reviewed each of the Plaintiffâs proffered examples when it dispensed with Defendantsâ motion for judgment on the pleadings. (Order, ECF No. 26 page 4.) Without belaboring the point herein by conducting an additional review of each example, it should suffice to say that the proffered examples of alleged sexual misconduct are factually distinguishable from this lawsuit. In its Order denying Defendantsâ motion for judgment on the pleadings, the Court wrote, âthe examples [of similar alleged misconduct] cited by Plaintiff do not match the specific fact pattern of her case.â (Id.) The Court provided Plaintiff with an opportunity to conduct discovery to develop her Monell claim by denying Defendantsâ motion for judgment on the pleadings. (Id.) Plaintiff has now had the opportunity to engage in Monell discovery and has failed to come forward with similar instances of misconduct that match the fact of her lawsuit. It should also be mentioned that many of the proffered examples of alleged misconduct submitted by Plaintiff were temporally remote from her contact with Officer McGorry in July of 2018. The temporally remote nature of these proffered examples seriously undermines Plaintiffâs ability to establish a similar pattern of misconduct which would place City policy makers on notice of the need to take actionâto establish that City policy makers were deliberately indifferent to a known risk. (Beck v. City of Pittsburgh, 89 F.3d 966, 973 (3d Cir. 1996); Watson v. Abington Twp., 478 F.3d 144, 156-57 (3d Cir. 2007) (a first instance of misconduct that occurred more than five (5) year before the incident at hand is insufficient to create a reasonable inference of a well-settled custom sufficient to preclude summary judgment); see also Doe v. Allegheny Cty., No. 10-1761, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43096, *38-39 (W.D. Pa. Mar. 27, 2013) (2004 incident of correctional staff sexual assault were too remote in time from alleged 2010 correctional staff assault to evidence a custom or practice). Plaintiff equally fails to show that Officer McGorry had a disciplinary history that would place the City on notice of a need for special supervision, investigation or discipline. Plaintiff failed to come forward with credible evidence to establish that Officer McGorry had a history of sexual misconduct prior to the events giving rise to this lawsuit. Therefore, her Monell claim fails on the specific facts as they relate to Officer McGorry because she cannot show that the City was deliberately indifferent to a risk that he might present. Plaintiff is also unable to put forth evidence supporting her theory that the City failed to sufficiently investigate and/or discipline officers concerning allegations of sexual misconduct during the relevant time period. To the contrary, the Philadelphia Police Department conducted and internal investigation into Officer McGorryâs conduct in connection with this lawsuit and underlying criminal charges that were brought against him. (Cityâs Statement of Material Facts ¶ 7, ECF No. 46-1.) After obtaining a search warrant to obtain digital information from Officer McGorryâs cellphone, the Philadelphia Police Department decided to discipline Officer McGorry despite the fact that the Philadelphia District Attorneyâs Office declined to prosecute him. (Id.) Plaintiffâs legal theory based on an alleged failure to train fails because, as discussed above, Plaintiff is unable to show deliberate indifferenceâa necessary element of a failure to train claim under Monell. Glass v. City of Philadelphia, 455 F. Supp. 2d 302, 343-344 (E.D. Pa. 2006). In addition to being unable to show deliberate indifference, Plaintiffâs failure to train claim fails because there is no obligation to specifically train police officers not to engage in criminal conduct that is obviously illegalâsuch as sexual assault. See Hernandez v. Borough of Palisades Park Police Depât, 58 F. Appâx 909, 915 (3d Cir. 2003) (holding that failure to train officers not to commit burglaries did not constitute deliberate indifference); Hunter v. City of Philadelphia, No. 15-2737, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 160730, *11 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 1, 2015) (where a police officer acts in a patently inappropriate manner such that âthe proper response . . . is obvious to all without training,â an inference of deliberate indifference is not supportedâ); Lamac v. Buchanan, No. 13-1338, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 94388, *3 (M.D. Pa. July 20, 2016) (âThe notion that a local government must train its elected officials to refrain from assaulting people on the threshold to the township building during election days defies common sense, in that it is or should be intuitively obvious that such conduct is impermissible.â); Romano v. Young, No. 07- 1708, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10986, *15 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 2, 2011) (granting summary judgment on claim for failure to train on the possibility that male police officers may exercise undue influence over a female civilian because it is âhardly obvious that a police officer, sworn to uphold the law,â would violate the rights âof the very citizens whom [he was] duty bound to protect because [the officer] lacked training that instructed [him] that such activity was unlawful.â). It should also be mentioned that Plaintiff came forward with no evidence â such as an expert report â to establish any deficiency in training, including what was lacking in Philadelphia Police Department training, what training should have been provided, or how additional training could have prevented her alleged sexual assault. For all of these reasons, Plaintiffâs Monell claim fails and the City will be dismissed from this lawsuit on motion for summary judgment. B. Partial Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Police Officer James McGorry: Plaintiffâs federal constitutional claims against Officer McGorry brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 fail and summary judgment will be entered in favor of Officer McGorry. Section 1983 provides a private cause of action for citizens for deprivations of their constitutional rights by a person acting under the color of state law. 42 U.S.C. § 1983. âBy itself, Section 1983 does not create any rights, but provides a remedy for violations of those rights created by the Constitution or federal law.â Morse v. Lower Merion Sch. Dist., 132 F.3d 902, 906-907 (3d Cir. 1997), citing, Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137 (1979). âIn order to state a claim, plaintiff must show that the defendants, acting under color of state law, deprived him of a right secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States.â Id., citing, Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527 (1981). â[T]he first step in evaluating a section 1983 claim is to identify the exact contours of the underlying right said to have been violated, and to determine whether the plaintiff has alleged the deprivation of a constitutional right at all.â Kaucher v. County of Bucks, 455 F.3d 418, 423 (3d Cir. 2006), quoting, Nicini v. Morra, 212 F.3d 798, 806 (3d Cir. 2000). Absent a constitutional violation, Plaintiff cannot make out a section 1983 claim. 1. Plaintiffâs Claims against Officer McGorry Based on the Fourth Amendment Will Be Dismissed: Plaintiffâs Fourth Amendment claims will be dismissed because her July 13, 2018, arrest was supported by probable cause, and no viable Fourth Amendment claim arises from her interaction with Officer McGorry after she was released from custody on July 14, 2018. A pre-requisite for any Fourth Amendment claim is that the plaintiff be âseizedâ within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. Berg v. County of Allegheny, 219 F.3d 261, 269 (3d Cir. 2000). A Fourth Amendment âseizureâ occurs â[w]hen the state places constitutionally significant restrictions on a personâs freedom of movement for the purpose of obtaining his presence at a judicial proceeding.â Schneyder v. Smith, 653 F.3d 313, 321-22 (3d Cir. 2011). When a seizure does occur, it is only an âunreasonable seizureâ which is actionable under the Fourth Amendment. An arrest based on probable cause is reasonable as a matter of law, and not a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Baker v. McCollan, 443 U.S. 137, 143-144 (1979). A police officer acts in accordance with the Fourth Amendment when he makes an arrest based on a facially valid warrant, and the officer has no duty to investigate the detaineeâs claims of innocence. Id. Furthermore, while the use of force in the course of a seizure can violate the Fourth Amendment, it is only the use of force that is not objectively reasonable under the circumstances that violates the constitution. Groman v. Twp. Of Manalapan, 47 F.3d 628, 634 (3d Cir. 1995). There is no dispute that Plaintiff was arrested on July 13, 2018, based on a facially valid warrant which was supported by probably cause. Therefore, Officer McGorryâs involvement in Plaintiffâs arrest did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Plaintiffâs own testimony establishes that Officer McGorry did not use physical force when he arrested Plaintiff, so no claim for unreasonable use of excessive force has been has been established under the Fourth Amendment. Any interaction that took place between the two individuals after July 14, 2018 after Plaintiff was released on bail, does not constitute a seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. When Plaintiff met with Officer McGorry after her release from jail she simply was not detained or arrested for the purpose of securing her attendance at a judicial proceeding. A Fourth Amendment seizure requires that the government terminate a personâs freedom of movement through means intentionally applied, Brower v. County of Inyo, 489 U.S. 593, 596 (1989), in such a manner that a reasonable person would believe that she was not free to leave. U.S. v. Mendenhall, 446 U.S. 544, 554 (1980). If a reasonable person would feel free to disregard the police and decline their requests, a seizure has not occurred. Id. 2. Plaintiffâs Claims against Officer McGorry Based on the Fifth Amendment Will Be Dismissed: Plaintiffâs legal theory that Officer McGorry violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause fails because the Fifth Amendment Due Process clause is only appliable to the federal government and does not apply to state officials like Officer McGorry acting under state law. At the time of this incident, Officer McGorry was alleged to be a City of Philadelphia Police Officerâa state official. Therefore, his alleged improper conduct could not be said to violate the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause. See Brandywine Vill. Assocs. v. East Brandywine Twp., No. 20-2225, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167350, *14 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 14, 2020); Myers v. County of Somerset, 515 F.Supp.2d 492, 503 (D.N.J. 2007) (collecting cases). âAccordingly, the rights provided by the Fifth Amendment do not apply to the actions of state officials.â Myers, 515 F.Supp.2d at 503. 3. Plaintiffâs Claims against Officer McGorry Based on the Fourteenth Amendment Will Be Dismissed: Plaintiff has failed to develop a viable Fourteenth Amendment claim against Officer McGorry. Plaintiffâs Amended Complaint alleges unspecified violations of her Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under the law. (Amended Complaint ¶¶ 23-26.) The Court provided Plaintiff with an opportunity to conduct discovery to develop her Fourteenth Amendment claims despite the dubious nature of her pleadings. (Order denying Defendantsâ motion for judgment on the pleadings.) After being provided an opportunity to conduct discovery, Plaintiff has failed to present any argument or evidence to establish a viable Fourteenth Amendment claim. Plaintiff comes forward with no evidence to support her Fourteenth Amendment equal protection claim. âTo succeed on a § 1983 equal protection claim [under the Fourteenth Amendment], Plaintiff must allege facts demonstrating âpurposeful discriminationâ and that [s]he âreceiv[ed] different treatment from that received by other individuals similarly situated.ââ Green v. Chester Upland Sch. Dist., 89 F. Supp. 3d 682, 693 (E.D. Pa. 2015). To plead an equal protection claim, âPlaintiff must allege that [s]he was: (1) a member of a protected class; (2) similarly situated to members of an unprotected class; and (3) treated differently from members of the unprotected class.â Green, 89 F.Supp.3d at 693, citing, Oliveira v. Twp. of Irvington, 41 F. Appâx. 555, 559 (3d Cir.2002), and Keenan v. City of Philadelphia, 983 F.2d 459, 465 (3d Cir.1992). A review of the facts and evidence in this lawsuit with an eye towards the tripartite test for establishing an equal protection claim illustrates that Plaintiff is an African American woman (Freeman Deposition page 20), which makes her a member of a protected class. Beyond this, there are no facts establishing any of the other elements of an equal protection claim. There are no facts suggesting any discrimination against Plaintiff, let alone discrimination on the basis of race. Plaintiff likewise presents no facts to suggest disparate treatment. This lawsuit concerns a relationship between Plaintiff and Officer McGorry and not unequal treatment of Plaintiff compared to others due to her sex or race. Consequently, Plaintiffâs equal protection claim will be dismissed. To the extent Plaintiff pled a procedural due process claim, that claim will be dismissed. To set out a claim for deprivation of procedural due process, â[t]he plaintiff must establish: â(1) he was deprived of an individual interest that is encompassed within the Fourteenth Amendmentâs protections of âlife, liberty, or property,â and (2) the procedures available to him did not provide due process of law.ââ Verdier v. Borough, 796 F. Supp.2d 606, 629 (E.D. Pa. 2011), quoting, Hill v. Borough of Kutztown, 455 F.3d 225, 234 (3d Cir. 2006). A procedural due process claim is premised upon the procedures made available by the state and tests the sufficiency of the pre-deprivation procedures available before a taking, or the post-deprivation procedures available after a taking. Id. There is no viable procedural due process cause of action against an individual state actor for allegedly depriving the plaintiff of a property right or a process by which to vindicate that right. See Hudson v. Palmer, 468 U.S. 517, 532 (1984) (dismissing procedural due process claim against prison guard); Ball v. Oden, 425 F. Appâx. 88, 89 (3d Cir. 2011) (dismissing procedural due process claims against prison guards in their individual capacity under Hudson); Shakur v. Coelho, 421 F. Appâx. 132, 135 (3d Cir. 2011) (dismissing procedural due process claim against individual prison guards for unauthorized deprivations of property); Brown v. Muhlenberg Twp., 269 F.3d 205, 213 (3d Cir. 2001) (rejecting claim that police officer could be liable for procedural due process violation in shooting plaintiffâs dog, citing Hudson). Plaintiffâs procedural due process claim fails because she has not established that she was deprived of any constitutionally protected procedural due process right. To the contrary, Plaintiff was arrested on a valid warrant, and she testified that the charges against her were dropped after she provided video evidence to demonstrate her innocence. (Freeman Deposition page 75.) Therefore, everything suggests that the judicial system functioned properly in relationship to the criminal charges lodged against Plaintiff. Furthermore, Plaintiff does not aver, argue, or provide evidence to suggest that Officer McGorry did anything to impede or frustrate the criminal proceeding brought against her. Plaintiff alleges that Officer McGorry offered to help her with criminal case and problems with her ex-boyfriend if she would maintain a social relationship with him. There is nothing to suggest that Officer McGorryâs alleged unethical and improper conduct created a procedural due process violation in relationship to Plaintiff. The Court will sua sponte dismiss any potential substantive due process claim that Plaintiff could be said to advance based on her privacy right to bodily integrity. (See Amended Complaint ¶¶ 24-25.) To state a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Plaintiff must plead a deprivation of a constitutional right caused by a person acting under color of state law. Chainey v. Street, 523 F.3d 200, 219 (3d Cir. 2008). In her Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that Officer McGorry, under the cloak of his role as a Philadelphia Police Officer, deprived her of due process, and she references her âright to be free in her person.â (Amended Complaint ¶ 25.a.) An individualâs liberty interest in personal bodily integrity is included within the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment. Bridges v. Scranton Sch. Dist., 644 F. App'x 172, 176 (3d Cir. 2016). Indeed, â[e]very violation of a personâs bodily integrity is an invasion of his or her liberty,â Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210, 237 (1990) (Stevens, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part), and an âindividualâs right to bodily integrity is a fundamental right and liberty interest protected by substantive due process.â Logan v. Bd. of Educ. of Sch. Dist. of Pittsburgh, No. 15-499, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 172612, at *14 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 14, 2016) (citing Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702, 720 (1997)). In order to prevail on her substantive due process claim, Plaintiff must show that Officer McGorry deprived her of her right to bodily integrity and that such deprivation âshocks the conscience.â Chainey, 523 F.3d at 219. The fact that Officer McGorry asked Plaintiff for her phone number and asked her on a date while he was arresting her was improper and inappropriate. However, the Court does not believe that his infraction âshocks the consciencesâ to such an extent that it gives rise to a substantive due process claim under the Fourteenth Amendment. Nagle v. McKernan, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73139, *6 (N.D. Ill. Sep. 28, 2007) (finding no substantive due process violation where fire marshal appeared at a womanâs place of work under pretext of conducting a fire safety inspection, gave her a love note, and hugged her inappropriately); Decker v. Tinnel, No. 04-cv- 227, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38559, *26-27 (N.D. Ind. Dec. 20, 2005) (claim that police officer kissed and groped a woman during a police ride-along did not rise to the level of a deprivation of due process). The Court is of the opinion that the interactions that took place between Plaintiff and Officer McGorry after she was released from jail on July 14, 2018 do not give rise to a substantive due process claim. When the couple met in person, Officer McGorry was off-duty, and not wearing a uniform. Plaintiff alleges that Officer McGorry offered to speak with the detective who was handling her criminal case, and to help her with her problems with her ex- boyfriend. (Freeman Deposition pages 29, 34, 75.) Plaintiff was aware that Officer McGorryâs conduct was inappropriate as evidenced by her testimony that, as of July 16, 2018, she intended to report Officer McGorry to Internal Affairs or the Court. (Freeman Deposition page 199.) She further testified that she simply played along with Officer McGorryâs advances so that she could gather more evidence against him and build a case. (Freeman Deposition 75, 98.) Under the facts of this case, no substantive due process violation occurred. 4. The Court Will Decline to Exercise Jurisdiction over the Remaining State Law Claims and Will Dismiss Those Claims Without Prejudice: Having granted summary judgment as to Plaintiffâs federal-law claims, the Court also dismisses without prejudice Plaintiffâs state law claims for assault and battery (Amended Complaint ¶¶ 49-52), false imprisonment (Id. ¶¶ 53-57), intentional infliction of emotional distress (Id. ¶¶ 58-61). A district court may decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction if it has dismissed all the claims over which it had original jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(3). In non- diversity cases where the court grants summary judgement or dismisses all federal claims before trial, the general rule is that a district court should decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims absent âextraordinary circumstances.â Tully v. Mott Supermarkets, Inc., 540 F. 2d 187, 195 (3d Cir. 1976); Johnson v. Trans Union, LLC, No. 12- 5272, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71538, *12 (E.D. Pa. May 21, 2013) (declining to exercise jurisdiction over state claims since federal claims were did not survive dismissal which eliminated original jurisdiction). Finding that there is no federal question presented in this lawsuit, the Court will decline to exercise jurisdiction over Plaintiffâs state law claims which will be dismissed without prejudice. IV. Conclusion: For these reasons, Defendantsâ motions for summary judgment will be granted, and this action will be dismissed. An appropriate order shall follow. BY THE COURT: /s/ John Milton Younge Judge John Milton Younge
Case Information
- Court
- E.D. Pa.
- Decision Date
- August 1, 2022
- Status
- Precedential