Johnson v. City of Cincinnati

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Johnson v. City of Cincinnati

Opinion

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0RUHRYHU QRWKLQJ LQ RXU WUDGLWLRQ RU SUHFHGHQW FDQ REMHFWLYHO\ GHHSO\ URRWHG LQ WKLV 1DWLRQ¶V KLVWRU\ DQG FUHGLEO\EHUHDGWRVXJJHVWWKDWWKHright to participate in child WUDGLWLRQDQGLPSOLFLWLQWKHFRQFHSWRIRUGHUHGOLEHUW\ rearing does not extend to grandparents. See, e.g., Moore, VXFKWKDWQHLWKHUOLEHUW\QRUMXVWLFHZRXOGH[LVWLIWKH\ 431 U.S. at 504 ("Ours is by no means a tradition limited to ZHUH VDFULILFHG  6HFRQG ZH KDYH UHTXLUHG LQ respect for the bonds uniting the members of the nuclear VXEVWDQWLYHGXHSURFHVVFDVHVDFDUHIXOGHVFULSWLRQRIWKH family. The tradition of uncles, aunts, cousins, and especially DVVHUWHGIXQGDPHQWDOOLEHUW\LQWHUHVW grandparents sharing a household along with parents and children has roots equally venerable and equally deserving of :DVKLQJWRQ Y *OXFNVEHUJ  86     constitutional recognition.") (emphasis added) (footnote LQWHUQDOTXRWDWLRQPDUNVDQGFLWDWLRQVRPLWWHG VHHLGDW omitted). KROGLQJWKDW³WKHDVVHUWHGµULJKW¶WRDVVLVWDQFHLQFRPPLWWLQJ VXLFLGHLVQRWDIXQGDPHQWDOOLEHUW\LQWHUHVWSURWHFWHGE\WKH C. 'XH3URFHVV&ODXVH´ 

Neither the Supreme Court nor this court, however, has 7KLV QHHG IRU D ³FDUHIXO GHVFULSWLRQ RI WKH DVVHUWHG addressed the specific issue of whether a grandmother has a IXQGDPHQWDO OLEHUW\ LQWHUHVW´ DSSHDUV UHSHDWHGO\ LQ WKH fundamental freedom of association right to participate in the 6XSUHPH&RXUW¶VGHFLVLRQVLQYROYLQJVXEVWDQWLYHGXHSURFHVV upbringing of her grandchildren. ,Q *OXFNVEHUJ IRU H[DPSOH WKH &RXUW ZDV IDFHG ZLWK D FKDOOHQJHWRDSURKLELWLRQRQSK\VLFLDQDVVLVWHGVXLFLGH7KH Our decision in Bazzetta v. McGinnis, 286 F.3d 311, 316 &RXUWH[SUHVVO\UHMHFWHGIUDPLQJWKHLVVXHLQWHUPVRIZKHWKHU (6th Cir. 2002), provides some guidance. There, we LQGLYLGXDOVKDYH³DOLEHUW\LQWHUHVWLQGHWHUPLQLQJWKHWLPH examined the constitutional validity of a prison regulation that DQG PDQQHU RI RQH¶V GHDWK´ ³D ULJKW WR GLH´ ³D OLEHUW\ WR prohibited prisoners from receiving visits from their minor FKRRVHKRZWRGLH´RU³DULJKWWRFRQWURORIRQH¶VILQDOGD\V´ siblings, nieces and nephews. We struck down the regulation ,GDW LQWHUQDOTXRWDWLRQPDUNV RPLWWHG ,QVWHDGWKH because it was unrelated to legitimate penological goals. Id. &RXUWH[SODLQHGWKDW³WKHTXHVWLRQEHIRUHXVLVZKHWKHUWKH Implicit in our analysis was the recognition that an inmate’s µOLEHUW\¶ VSHFLDOO\ SURWHFWHG E\ WKH 'XH 3URFHVV &ODXVH ability to visit with his or her minor siblings, nieces and LQFOXGHVDULJKWWRFRPPLWVXLFLGHZKLFKLWVHOILQFOXGHVDULJKW nephews involves constitutionally protected associational WRDVVLVWDQFHLQGRLQJVR´,GDW rights. See id. at 317 ("Close analysis is especially appropriate when, as is the case here, the challenged 7KH6XSUHPH&RXUWVLPLODUO\UHMHFWHGEURDGGHILQLWLRQVRI restrictions interfere with family relationships . . . specially WKHDVVHUWHGOLEHUW\LQWHUHVWLQ5HQRY)ORUHV86  protected by the Constitution."). The right to participate in     ZKHUH LW XSKHOG WKH FRQVWLWXWLRQDOLW\ RI the upbringing of one’s grandchild occupies a basic position UHJXODWLRQV SURPXOJDWHG E\ WKH ,PPLJUDWLRQ DQG in our society’s hierarchy of values and is of a more intimate 1DWXUDOL]DWLRQ6HUYLFHWKDWDGGUHVVHGWKHFLUFXPVWDQFHVDQG WHUPVXQGHUZKLFKGHWDLQHGMXYHQLOHDOLHQVFRXOGEHUHOHDVHG  and therefore more fundamental  nature than the right to SHQGLQJWKHLUGHSRUWDWLRQKHDULQJV,QSDUWLFXODUWKH&RXUW visit one’s nieces or nephews. Therefore, a logical extension IUDPHGWKHLVVXHLQWHUPVRI³WKHDOOHJHGULJKWRIDFKLOGZKR of Bazzetta’s reasoning suggests that Johnson has a KDVQRDYDLODEOHSDUHQWFORVHUHODWLYHRUOHJDOJXDUGLDQDQG fundamental freedom of association right to participate in the IRUZKRPWKHJRYHUQPHQWLVUHVSRQVLEOHWREHSODFHGLQWKH upbringing of her grandchildren. FXVWRG\RIDZLOOLQJDQGDEOHSULYDWHFXVWRGLDQUDWKHUWKDQRI D JRYHUQPHQWRSHUDWHG RU JRYHUQPHQWVHOHFWHG FKLOGFDUH  -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 1R 1R -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Bazzetta’s implicit conclusion, that a prisoner has a right to receive certain family members as visitors, is in some tension ',66(17 with this court’s prior conclusion in Thompson v. Ashe, that BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB a plaintiff had "no fundamental right to visit his family members on [a public housing development’s] property." 250 521$/'/((*,/0$1&LUFXLW-XGJHGLVVHQWLQJ7KH F.3d at 406-07. PDMRULW\KDVFRQFOXGHGWKDWWKHRUGLQDQFHLQTXHVWLRQYLRODWHG WKHSODLQWLIIV¶IXQGDPHQWDOULJKWVWRLQWUDVWDWHWUDYHODQGWR In Thompson, the plaintiff challenged the constitutionality IUHHGRPRIDVVRFLDWLRQ7RWKHFRQWUDU\,DPRIWKHRSLQLRQ of a "no trespass" list, which kept him from visiting family WKDWWKLVFRXUWKDVSUHYLRXVO\KHOGWKDWQRIXQGDPHQWDOULJKW members in a public housing development.  ,G  7KH WR LQWUDVWDWH WUDYHO H[LVWV  0RUHRYHU , GR QRW VKDUH WKH 7KRPSVRQ FRXUW DGGUHVVHG WKH LVVXH DV IROORZV   )LUVW LW PDMRULW\¶V EHOLHI WKDW WKH RUGLQDQFH YLRODWHG WKH SODLQWLIIV¶ DFNQRZOHGJHG WKDW WKH %LOO RI 5LJKWV SURWHFWV WKH ULJKW WR ULJKWVWRIUHHGRPRIDVVRFLDWLRQ,WKHUHIRUHFRQFOXGHWKDWWKH ³HQWHU LQWR DQG PDLQWDLQ FHUWDLQ LQWLPDWH RU SULYDWH RUGLQDQFHGLGQRWLQIULQJHXSRQWKHSODLQWLIIV¶IXQGDPHQWDO UHODWLRQVKLSV´ DQG OLVWHG VSHFLILF UHODWLRQVKLSV WKDW WKH ULJKWV7KHRUGLQDQFHZDVWKXVVXEMHFWWRWKHORZHUVWDQGDUG ³6XSUHPH&RXUWKDVDFFRUGHGFRQVWLWXWLRQDOSURWHFWLRQWR´ RI UDWLRQDO EDVLV UHYLHZ ZKLFK , EHOLHYH LW PHW  , DOVR ,G QRWLQJ WKDW WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW ³KDV DFFRUGHG FRQFOXGH WKDW WKH RUGLQDQFH GLG QRW YLRODWH WKH 'RXEOH FRQVWLWXWLRQDO SURWHFWLRQ WR PDUULDJH WKH EHJHWWLQJ DQG -HRSDUG\&ODXVHRIWKH)LIWK$PHQGPHQWDQLVVXHWKDWWKH EHDULQJ RI FKLOGUHQ FKLOG UHDULQJ DQG HGXFDWLRQ DQG PDMRULW\ KDG QR QHHG WR UHDFK  )RU DOO RI WKHVH UHDVRQV , FRKDELWDWLRQ ZLWK UHODWLYHV´  FLWDWLRQV RPLWWHG   7KH ZRXOGUHYHUVHWKHMXGJPHQWRIWKHGLVWULFWFRXUW 7KRPSVRQFRXUWWKHQQRWHGWKDWWKHSODLQWLIIGLGQRWFODLPDQ DVVRFLDWLRQ LQWHUHVW WR ZKLFK WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW KDG ,)81'$0(17$/5,*+76 SUHYLRXVO\ DFFRUGHG FRQVWLWXWLRQDO SURWHFWLRQ ± LH 7KHPDMRULW\FRQFOXGHVWKDWWKHRUGLQDQFHLQIULQJHGXSRQ FRKDELWDWLRQ ZLWK UHODWLYHV ± and that the "Court has not WKHULJKWVRIERWK-RKQVRQDQG$X)UDQFHWRLQWUDVWDWHWUDYHO extended constitutional protection to mere visitation with -RKQVRQ¶VULJKWWRDVVLVWLQUDLVLQJKHUJUDQGFKLOGUHQDQG$X family members." Id. (emphasis added). Without further )UDQFH¶VULJKWWRYLVLWKLVDWWRUQH\$FFRUGLQJWRWKHPDMRULW\ explanation, the Thompson panel concluded that the plaintiff HDFKRIWKHVHULJKWVFRQVWLWXWHVDIXQGDPHQWDOOLEHUW\LQWHUHVW did not have a fundamental right to visit his family members. , UHVSHFWIXOO\ GLVDJUHH    %HIRUH GLVFXVVLQJ HDFK RI WKHVH Put more succinctly, Thompson concluded that the plaintiff SXUSRUWHG ULJKWV LQ GHWDLO , EHOLHYH WKDW D IHZ JHQHUDO had no fundamental right to visit his family members because FRPPHQWVDERXWVXEVWDQWLYHGXHSURFHVVDUHZDUUDQWHG the Supreme Court had not yet articulated such a right. That 7KH6XSUHPH&RXUW¶VDSSURDFKWRGHWHUPLQLQJZKHWKHUD the Supreme Court’s recognition of a right establishes that SDUWLFXODUULJKWLVSURWHFWHGE\WKH)RXUWHHQWK$PHQGPHQW¶V right’s existence for lower courts, however, tells us nothing 'XH 3URFHVV &ODXVH HVWDEOLVKHV WKH IUDPHZRUN IRU P\ about the existence of rights that the Court has not yet DQDO\VLV addressed. Unless one accepts the indefensible premise that the absence of a Supreme Court opinion on the existence of 2XU HVWDEOLVKHG PHWKRG RI VXEVWDQWLYHGXHSURFHVV DQDO\VLV KDV WZR SULPDU\ IHDWXUHV   )LUVW ZH KDYH UHJXODUO\REVHUYHGWKDWWKH'XH3URFHVV&ODXVHVSHFLDOO\  7KRPSVRQ GRHV QRW VSHFLI\ SURWHFWVWKRVHIXQGDPHQWDOULJKWVDQGOLEHUWLHVZKLFKDUH %H\RQG D SDVVLQJ UHIHUHQFH WR D EURWKHU ZKLFK RI WKH SODLQWLII¶V IDPLO\ PHPEHUV OLYHG LQ WKH KRXVLQJ SURMHFW  -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 1R 1R -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 

a particular right means that a particular right does not exist, DSSO\´  VHH DOVR 1XQH]  )G DW  ILQGLQJ 6DQ there is simply no reason to infer the absence of a 'LHJR¶VRUGLQDQFH³SUREOHPDWLF´EHFDXVHLWGLGQRW³SURYLGH fundamental right to visit a family member based on the H[FHSWLRQV IRU PDQ\ OHJLWLPDWH DFWLYLWLHV ZLWK RU ZLWKRXW fortuity that the Supreme Court has not yet addressed the SDUHQWDOSHUPLVVLRQ´  issue. & 1RWZLWKVWDQGLQJRXUFRQFHUQVZHQHYHUWKHOHVVZRXOGEH ERXQGE\7KRPSVRQ¶VFRQFOXVLRQ±DVRSSRVHGWR%D]]HWWD¶V ,Q VWULNLQJGRZQWKH2UGLQDQFHZHGRQRWIRUHFORVHWKH LPSOLFLW FRQFOXVLRQ ± LI -RKQVRQ KDG PHUHO\ DVVHUWHG D SRVVLELOLW\ WKDW D QDUURZHU YHUVLRQ RI WKH 2UGLQDQFH IXQGDPHQWDOULJKWWRYLVLWKHUGDXJKWHURUJUDQGFKLOGUHQWK VXSSRUWHGE\DFOHDUHUUHFRUGFRXOGZLWKVWDQGVWULFWVFUXWLQ\ &LU5 F VHHDOVR8QLWHG6WDWHVY6PLWK)G 7HPSRUDU\ H[FOXVLRQ LV DQ H[WUHPH PHDVXUH EXW ZH  WK&LU   UHFRJQL]HWKDWPXQLFLSDOLWLHVOLNHWKH&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWLIDFH IRUPLGDEOHFKDOOHQJHVLQLPSURYLQJWKHVDIHW\DQGZHOOEHLQJ The issue before this court, however, is whether Johnson RI LWV FLWL]HQV LQ KLJK FULPHV DUHDV  :KLOH ZH KDYH HYHU\ has a fundamental associational right to participate in the FRQILGHQFHWKDWWKH&LW\DFWHGLQWKHXWPRVWJRRGIDLWKDQG education and rearing of her grandchild. Unlike the plaintiff ZLWK WKH EHVW LQWHQWLRQV LQ HQDFWLQJ WKH 2UGLQDQFH WKH in Thompson, Johnson has been an active participant in the 2UGLQDQFH LQ LWV SUHVHQW IRUP GRHV QRW ZLWKVWDQG lives and activities of her grandchildren, with the consent and FRQVWLWXWLRQDOVFUXWLQ\ support of the children’s mother. Thompson itself recognized the distinction between participating in child rearing and 9,, merely visiting one’s family. See Thompson, 250 F.3d at 407 (acknowledging that "[t]he Court has accorded constitutional )RUWKHIRUHJRLQJUHDVRQVZH$)),50WKHMXGJPHQWRIWKH protection to . . . child rearing and education") (citing Pierce GLVWULFWFRXUW v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 534-35, 45 S.Ct. 571, 69 L.Ed. 1070 (1925)). Moreover, to the extent that Thompson can be read to proclaim the absence of a fundamental right to participate in child-rearing it conflicts with Supreme Court precedent and cannot bind this court. See Pierce, 268 U.S. at 534-35 (recognizing a fundamental child-rearing right); Meyer, 262 U.S. at 398 (noting that "without doubt" the liberty interest guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment denotes the right to "establish a home and bring up children").

Accordingly, we find that Johnson does have a fundamental freedom of association right to participate in the upbringing of her grandchildren.  %HFDXVH ZH ILQG WKDW WKH 2UGLQDQFH XQFRQVWLWXWLRQDOO\ LQIULQJHV RQ SODLQWLIIV¶ ULJKWV WR IUHHGRP RI DVVRFLDWLRQ DQG D ULJKW WR ORFDOL]HG WUDYHO ZH GR QRW UHDFK $X )UDQFH¶V GRXEOH MHRSDUG\ FODLP  -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 1R 1R -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 

$QGDVDKRPHOHVVLQGLYLGXDO$X)UDQFHODFNHGDFFHVVWRD D. SULYDWHWHOHSKRQHWRVHHNDQGUHFHLYHOHJDODGYLFH*LYHQWKH REYLRXVO\SULYLOHJHGQDWXUHRIKLVFRQYHUVDWLRQVLWFDQQRWEH Our analysis of Au France’s claim  that the Ordinance VDLG WKDW $X )UDQFH¶V DFFHVV WR WKH &LW\¶V SUHGRPLQDQWO\ infringes on his freedom of association right to visit his XQHQFORVHGSXEOLFSKRQHVDOOHYLDWHGKLVSUREOHPRIDFFHVV attorney  is more straightforward. Much of our system of $QXUEDQVWUHHWFRUQHUVLPSO\GRHVQRWSURYLGHDVXIILFLHQW law is based upon the presumption that one of the most JXDUDQWHHRISULYDF\DQGDUHDOLVWLFDOO\HIIHFWLYHJXDUGDJDLQVW important relationships for "safeguarding of individual GLVFORVXUHRISULYLOHJHGDQGFRQILGHQWLDOLQIRUPDWLRQWREH freedom" is that between an individual and his or her FRQVLGHUHGDYLDEOHDOWHUQDWLYH(YHQLI$X)UDQFHVHFXUHGD attorney. See Roberts, 468 U.S. at 617-618. It simply cannot ZKROO\HQFORVHGSXEOLFSKRQHKHLVKRPHOHVVDQGWKXVLQDOO be denied that an individual’s relationship with his or her OLNHOLKRRG ODFNV WKH PRQH\ IRU DQ\WKLQJ PRUH WKDQ D VKRUW attorney "acts as a critical buffer between the individual and FRQYHUVDWLRQZLWKKLVDWWRUQH\7KXVWKH2UGLQDQFHQRWRQO\ the power of the State." See id. Accordingly, we find that Au EORFNHG$X)UDQFH¶VSK\VLFDODFFHVVWRKLVDWWRUQH\¶VRIILFH France has a fundamental freedom of association right to visit LWHIIHFWLYHO\EORFNHGDOODFFHVVWRKLVDWWRUQH\:KLOHWKLVD his attorney. WURXEOLQJ VFHQDULR UHJDUGOHVV RI WKH XQGHUO\LQJ IDFWXDO FLUFXPVWDQFHVLWLVSDUWLFXODUWURXEOLQJLQ$X)UDQFH¶VFDVH 9, $X)UDQFHLVDKRPHOHVVPDQH[LVWLQJDWWKHPDUJLQVRIRXU VRFLHW\ ZKHUH KH LV XQLTXHO\ YXOQHUDEOH DQG LQ SDUWLFXODU +DYLQJDGGUHVVHGWKHH[LVWHQFHRIWKHUHOHYDQWULJKWVZH QHHG RI XQREVWUXFWHG DFFHVV WR OHJDO UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ DQG D QRZWXUQWRZKHWKHUWKH2UGLQDQFHLQIULQJHVRQWKRVHULJKWV EXIIHUDJDLQVWWKHSRZHURIWKH6WDWH DQGLILWGRHVZKHWKHULWLVQHYHUWKHOHVVVXIILFLHQWO\WDLORUHG WRDOORZWKH2UGLQDQFHWRSDVVMXGLFLDOVFUXWLQ\ ,Q HYDOXDWLQJ SODLQWLIIV¶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¶VYDULDQFHPHFKDQLVPGHYLDWHVIURP WKDW ULJKW ³XQOHVV WKH LQIULQJHPHQW LV QDUURZO\ WDLORUHG WR WKH YDULDQFH SURFHGXUHV XWLOL]HG LQ WKH MXYHQLOH FXUIHZ VHUYHDFRPSHOOLQJVWDWHLQWHUHVW´*OXFNVEHUJ86DW RUGLQDQFHVXSKHOGE\RXUVLVWHUFLUFXLWV,QWKRVHFDVHVWKH  FLWDWLRQ RPLWWHG  /DNHZRRG 2KLR &RQJUHJDWLRQ RI RSHUDWLYH YDULDQFH VSHFLILFDOO\ H[HPSWHG FRQVWLWXWLRQDOO\ -HKRYDK¶V:LWQHVVHV,QFY&LW\RI/DNHZRRG )G SURWHFWHG DFWLYLW\ 6HH 6FKOHLIHU Y &LW\ RI &KDUORWWHVYLOOH   WK&LU  1RWZLWKVWDQGLQJWKLVJHQHUDOUXOHWKH  )G WK&LU   ³8QGHU&KDUORWWHVYLOOH¶V &LW\ FRQWHQGV WKDW WKH LQWHUPHGLDWH VFUXWLQ\ DSSOLFDEOH WR FXUIHZPLQRUVDUHDOORZHGWRXQGHUWDNHLQWHUVWDWHWUDYHO FRQWHQWQHXWUDO WLPH SODFH DQG PDQQHU UHJXODWLRQV RI DQG WR HQJDJH IUHHO\ LQ DQ\ DFWLYLW\ SURWHFWHG E\ WKH )LUVW RWKHUZLVHSURWHFWHG)LUVW$PHQGPHQWDFWLYLW\VKRXOGJXLGH $PHQGPHQW´ 4XWEY6WUDXVV)G  WK&LU RXUUHYLHZRIWKH2UGLQDQFH,QVXSSRUWRILWVFRQWHQWLRQWKH    ³0RVWQRWDEO\LIWKHMXYHQLOHLVH[HUFLVLQJKLVRUKHU &LW\UHOLHVSULPDULO\RQWKH7KLUG&LUFXLW¶VGHFLVLRQXSKROGLQJ )LUVW $PHQGPHQW ULJKWV WKH FXUIHZ RUGLQDQFH GRHV QRW WKH&LW\RI<RUN¶VDQWLFUXLVLQJRUGLQDQFHZKLFKSURKLELWHG GULYLQJ UHSHDWHGO\ WKURXJK D ORRS RI FHUWDLQ PDMRU SXEOLF  -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 1R 1R -RKQVRQHWDOY&LW\RI&LQFLQQDWL 

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Reference

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