UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ANDREW B. GIDEA, Plaintiff, -against- 24-CV-10059 (LTS) OWEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT, VILLAGE OF OWEGO, NEW YORK; TRANSFER ORDER OFFICER STARZEK; OFFICER PARKER; LILLIAN REARDON, ESQUIRE; KYLE FLEMING, Defendants. LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN, Chief United States District Judge: Plaintiff brings this pro se action under

, alleging that Defendants violated his federal constitutional rights in Owego, Tioga County, New York. Named as Defendants are the Owego Police Department, the Village of Owego, Owego Police Officers Starzek and Parker, Owego Assistant District Attorney Lillian Reardon, and Tioga County Dog Control Officer Kyle Fleming. For the following reasons, this action is transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. DISCUSSION Under

(b), a civil action may be brought in (1) a judicial district in which any defendant resides, if all defendants are residents of the State in which the district is located; (2) a judicial district in which a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred . . . ; or (3) if there is no district in which an action may otherwise be brought as provided in this section, any judicial district in which any defendant is subject to the court’s personal jurisdiction with respect to such action. For venue purposes, a “natural person” resides in the district where the person is domiciled, and an “entity with the capacity to sue and be sued” resides in any judicial district where it is subject to personal jurisdiction with respect to the civil action in question. See

(c)(1), (2). The Owego Police Department and the Village of Owego are located in Owego, Tioga County, New York. Plaintiff does not allege residential addresses for any of the individual

defendants, but he provides Tioga County addresses for each of them. Plaintiff alleges that the events giving rise to his claims occurred in Owego, Tioga County, which is located within the Northern District of New York. See

(a). Because it is unknown where Defendants reside, it is unclear whether venue is proper under Section 1391(b)(1) in either this District or the Northern District of New York. Even if the Court did assume that Defendants reside in this District and that venue is proper here under Section 1391(b)(1), because the events giving rise to Plaintiff’s claims occurred at Tioga County, venue would also be proper under Section 1391(b)(2) in the Northern District of New York. Under

(a), even if a case is filed in a jurisdiction where venue is proper, a court may transfer the case to any other district where it might have been brought “[f]or the

convenience of parties and witnesses, in the interest of justice.”

(a). In determining whether transfer is appropriate, courts consider the following ten factors: (1) the convenience of witnesses; (2) the convenience of the parties; (3) the locus of operative facts; (4) the availability of process to compel the attendance of the unwilling witnesses; (5) the location of relevant documents and the relative ease of access to sources of proof; (6) the relative means of the parties; (7) the forum’s familiarity with the governing law; (8) the weight accorded to the plaintiff’s choice of forum; (9) trial efficiency; and (10) the interest of justice, based on the totality of circumstances. Keitt v. N.Y. City,

(S.D.N.Y. 2011); see also N.Y. Marine and Gen. Ins. Co. v. LaFarge No. Am., Inc.,

(2d Cir. 2010) (setting forth similar factors). Under Section 1404(a), transfer appears to be appropriate in this case. The underlying events occurred in Tioga County, where the Owego Police Department and Village of Owego are

located and where the individuals are employed, and it is reasonable to expect that the relevant documents and witnesses also would be in Tioga County. The Northern District of New York appears to be a more convenient forum for this action. Accordingly, the Court transfers this action to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

(a); see D.H. Blair & Co. v. Gottdiener,

(2d Cir. 2006) (“District courts have broad discretion in making determinations of convenience under Section 1404(a) and notions of convenience and fairness are considered on a case-by-case basis.”). CONCLUSION The Clerk of Court is directed to transfer this action to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Whether Plaintiff should be permitted to proceed further without prepayment of fees is a determination to be made by the transferee court. A summons

shall not issue from this court. This order closes this case in this court. The Court certifies, under

(a)(3), that any appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith, and therefore in forma pauperis status is denied for the purpose of an appeal. See Coppedge v. United States,

(1962). SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 10, 2025 New York, New York

/s/ Laura Taylor Swain LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN Chief United States District Judge