Harris v. Bowser
Harris v. Bowser
Opinion of the Court
This suit arises from Plaintiff Warren Harris's request for relief on his alleged claims of: (1) unreasonable seizure in violation of
*97I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A. Plaintiff's History of Commitment and Incarceration
On September 22, 1981, Plaintiff Warren Harris ("Plaintiff" or "Mr. Harris") was "committed into the custody of St. Elizabeths Hospital pursuant to Title 24, Section 301(d)(1) of the District of Columbia Code [now
Mr. Harris has been granted several conditional releases since his commitment began, and he was returned to inpatient care most recently on October 15, 2014, following his conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Cocaine) and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and his sentence of 36 months' incarceration, which was to be served in a facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP") and followed by five years of supervised release. Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 46-50; June 22, 2016 Consent Order, ECF No. 9-1, at 1. Mr. Harris was "subsequently conditionally released pursuant to an order issued by Chief Judge Robert Morin of the D.C. Superior Court, on May 3, 2017, finding that Mr. Harris will not, in the reasonably foreseeable future, present a danger to himself or others because of mental illness if conditionally released[.]" Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 8; May 3, 2017 Consent Order for Conditional Release ("May 3 2017 Consent Order"), ECF No. 11-1, at 2.
B. Events Leading to the Lawsuit
Plaintiff filed his Complaint on April 4, 2018. Plaintiff's Complaint indicates that, on January 17, 2017, St. Elizabeths recommended that the Superior Court issue an order conditionally releasing Plaintiff to live in the community, on the basis that he would not pose a danger if released. Compl., ECF No.1, ¶¶ 3, 55. The D.C. Superior Court scheduled a hearing for April 5, 2017, to consider that recommendation. Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 3, 56. On April 5, 2017, the DOC picked up Plaintiff at St. Elizabeths and transported him to and from the D.C. Superior Court. Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 4, 61. Plaintiff alleges that "the DOC removed [his] shoelaces and belt and subjected him to five-point restraints" before he rode in a van "with Class "A" patients, seated on a bench facing a metal screen dividing male and female patients," and when he arrived at the Courthouse, he was "placed in a holding cell." Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 4, 63-65.
C. Plaintiff's Claims
Plaintiff alleges that the Defendants in this case - the District, DBH, St. Elizabeths, and DOC - "subject[ ] patients under the care and custody of St. Elizabeths to unwarranted and unconstitutional restraint when transporting patients to and from St. Elizabeths and D. C. Superior Court to attend court hearings about the status of their commitment at St. Elizabeths." Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 1. In Count I, Plaintiff alleges that the practice whereby forensic patients are placed in restraints during transport and put in a holding cell while awaiting a court hearing constitutes "an unreasonable seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment[.]" Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 91. In Count II, Plaintiff alleges that the way in which he was transported by the DOC to and from the D.C. Superior Court, on April 5, 2017, and placed in a holding cell "violat[ed] [ ] his Fifth Amendment right to adequate medical care and to be free of unwarranted bodily restraint." Compl, ECF No. 1, ¶ 109. In Count III, Plaintiff alleges that the way in which he was transported by DOC to and from the D.C. Superior Court, on April 5, 2017, "constitute[s] a deprivation of liberty without due process of law in violation of the Fifth Amendment[.]" Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 117. Plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief because he "remains subject to being returned to St. Elizabeths for mandatory treatment and has no other adequate remedy to prevent future injury ... "Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 92, 109, 118.
II. LEGAL STANDARD
A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1)
A court must dismiss a case pursuant to Federal Rule 12(b)(1) when it lacks subject matter jurisdiction. In determining whether there is jurisdiction, the Court may "consider the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts evidenced in the record, or the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts plus the court's resolution of disputed facts." Coalition for Underground Expansion v. Mineta ,
In reviewing a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1), courts must accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and construe the complaint liberally, granting plaintiff the benefit of all inferences that can be drawn from the facts alleged. See Leatherman v. Tarrant Cty. Narcotics Intelligence & Coordination Unit ,
B. Failure to State a Claim under Rule 12(b)(6)
Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), a party may move to dismiss a complaint on grounds that it "fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). A complaint is not sufficient if it "tenders 'naked assertion[s]' devoid of 'further factual enhancement.' " Ashcroft v. Iqbal ,
When considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, courts may consider "the facts alleged in the complaint, documents attached as exhibits or incorporated by reference in the complaint" or "documents upon which the plaintiff's complaint necessarily relies even if the document is produced not by the plaintiff in the complaint but by the defendant in a motion to dismiss." Ward v. District of Columbia Dep't of Youth Rehab. Servs. ,
Accordingly, for purposes of the pending motion, the Court takes judicial notice of the June 22, 2016 Consent Order for Conditional Release issued by Chief Judge Lee Satterfield in United States of America v. Warren Harris , Case No. 1981 FEL 000024, attached as Ex. 1 to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 9-1, and the May 3, 2017 Consent Order for Conditional Release in the aforementioned case, which is attached as Ex 1 to Plaintiff's Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 11-1.
III. ANALYSIS
The Court will address the parties' arguments regarding Counts I, II, and III of the Plaintiff's Complaint before addressing Defendants' arguments that Plaintiff lacks *100standing to request prospective relief and determining whether the District should be substituted for the named Defendants being sued in their official capacities.
A. Plaintiff's Fourth Amendment Claim (Count I)
The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable seizures. In re Barnard ,
A "seizure" triggering the protections of the Fourth Amendment occurs when a person's freedom of movement is terminated or restrained either by "physical force or a show of authority." Brendlin v. California ,
Plaintiff had previously been conditionally released from St. Elizabeths on June 5, 2007, pursuant to an order by a D.C. Superior Court Judge, which contained a proviso that "if he violate[d] the conditions of this release[,] he [could] be returned to inpatient care at the Hospital." Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 45. Plaintiff violated the conditions of his release by engaging in criminal activity, for which he received a 36-month term of imprisonment in federal prison in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
*101See generally Ratigan v. Trogvac , No. 4:CV-08-1667,
As with a convicted prisoner, "[t]he Fourth Amendment applies in a similar manner to civilly committed individuals" because those individuals are also already in custody. A.M. v. N.M. Dep't of Health ,
Plaintiff argues that DOC effected a new seizure on Plaintiff when it placed him into five-point restraints to transport him to the court because DOC does not have authority over St. Elizabeths patients as it is an entirely separate authority. Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF No. 11, at 9-10.
Plaintiff attempts to distinguish Balkum on two grounds: (1) the Balkum plaintiff failed to allege a Fourth Amendment claim regarding the use of restraints in his complaint, and he was inappropriately bringing it is as a new claim in an opposition to summary judgment and (2) the restraints were used by the psychiatric facility for transport outside the facility, "not by a separate governmental authority." Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF No. 11, at 10-11. Plaintiff's first proffered distinction has no real bearing as the Balkum court undertook an analysis of the use of restraints claim as a Fourth Amendment [excessive force] claim "in the interest of thoroughness" and because of the plaintiff's pro se status. Id. at *10. Regarding Plaintiff's second proffered distinction, Defendants assert that "[p]atients who are not free to leave a state facility are involuntarily committed to the custody of the state." Doe v. District of Columbia ,
Plaintiff argues that "[w]hile DOC's 'custody' of Plaintiff during his transport to, attendance at a hearing in, and transport from D.C. Superior Court may not have constituted an actionable seizure had DOC transported and handled him in accordance with St. Elizabeths' policy, because the DOC's restraint far exceeded the restraint Plaintiff was subject to as a St. Elizabeths patient, it constituted a separate seizure under the Fourth Amendment." Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF 11, at 11. Plaintiff cites three cases which presumably support this contention, but as noted by Defendant, these cases "do not address whether the transfer of custody of an individual from one agency to another is a separate 'seizure' for Fourth Amendment purposes [but] [i]nstead, those cases address the seizure of an individual's possessory interest in property." Defs.' Reply, ECF No. 13, at 8. Accordingly, the cases are inapposite. Cf. United States ex rel. Vanorsby v. Acevedo , Civil Action No. 11-7384,
Plaintiff's claim of an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment shall be dismissed because Plaintiff had already been seized when he was committed to St. Elizabeths, and accordingly, his transport to the court for a hearing, although done by an entity other than St. Elizabeths, does not constitute an actionable seizure. Because this Court has found that there was no [new] seizure, the Court need not reach the issue of reasonableness of a seizure.
B. Plaintiff Substantive Due Process Claim (Count II) and Procedural Due Process Claim (Count III)
1. Plaintiff's Count II is not Redundant of Count I
As a preliminary matter, Defendants assert that Plaintiff's Fifth Amendment substantive due process claim (Count II) should be dismissed on grounds that it is "redundant of his Fourth Amendment claim because it arises in the context of his alleged 'seizure' during transport." Defs.' Mot., ECF No. 9, at 20; citing Graham v. M.S. Connor ,
2. Explanation of Plaintiff's Counts II and III
In his Opposition, Plaintiff clarifies the basis for his due process claims in Counts II (the first and second liberty interests noted below) and III (the third liberty interest noted below) as follows:
First, Plaintiff has a cognizable liberty interest directly under the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause in being free from bodily restraint while involuntarily committed, at least in the absence of a showing of a legitimate and justified need for the restraint.
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Second, Plaintiff has a cognizable liberty interest under the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause for the Defendants to "attend to his medical needs" due to the Defendants' "special relationships" with Plaintiff "arising from an 'affirmative exercise of [the District's] power [that] so restrains an individual's liberty that it renders him unable to care for himself." [citation omitted]. In this case, as a mental health patient involuntarily committed to St. Elizabeths for rehabilitation and treatment, Plaintiff has just such a "special relationship" with Defendants. [citation omitted]. As acknowledged by District law and the Defendants' own internal policies, the bodily restraint of mentally ill patients has a "trauma inducing aspect [ ]" and "the potential for physical and psychological harm and loss of dignity." [citation omitted]. As officials charged with carrying out the District's constitutional responsibility to attend to Plaintiff's medical needs by virtue of the District's "special relationship" to Plaintiff, Defendants were obligated to refrain from placing Plaintiff in bodily restraints absent adequate justification, which Plaintiff alleges not to exist.
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Third, Plaintiff has a cognizable liberty interest to be free from bodily restraints, absent "an essential state interest" such s courtroom security "specific to the defendant on trial, when appearing before the D.C. Superior Court to secure his release from his involuntary commitment to St. Elizabeths. [citation omitted].
Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF No. 11, at 17-19. In their Reply, Defendants suggest that Plaintiff failed to allege the second and third liberty interests in their Complaint, and accordingly, those claims should not be addressed by the Court. Defs.' Reply, ECF No. 13, at 10 n.2. The Court disagrees with Defendants' characterization of Plaintiff's Complaint. See Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 104-108 (relating to the second liberty interest); ¶¶ 111-117 (relating to the third liberty interest).
3. Plaintiffs' Claims under Counts II and III Survive a Motion to Dismiss
Defendants argue that "[w]hether plaintiff casts his due process claims as substantive or procedural, they fail [because] [c]ourts have held that the professional judgment standard applies to both *104substantive and procedural due process claims." Defs.' Reply, ECF No. 13, at 10-11; string citing Beaulieu v. Ludeman ,
What the Defendants leave out of their analysis is the additional language from Doe , whereby the Honorable Rudolph Contreras noted that:
To sum up: under Youngberg , the involuntarily committed enjoy the right to a minimum level of care and safety, and the state may (sometimes and for some reasons) physically restrain them. Seen one way, the state's authority to impose bodily restraints is the necessary consequence of its obligation to ensure reasonable safety. See Youngberg [v. Romeo ], 457 U.S. [307]at 320,102 S.Ct. 2452 [,73 L.Ed.2d 28 (1982) ]; id. at 324,102 S.Ct. 2452 (emphasizing that the state "may not restrain residents except when and to the extent professional judgment deems this necessary to assure [their] safety or to provide needed training").
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But Youngberg's limited holding does not diminish the fact that "the protections of the Due Process Clause, both substantive and procedural , may be triggered when the State, by the affirmative acts of its agents, subjects an involuntarily confined individual to deprivations of liberty which are not among those generally authorized by his confinement." DeShaney [v. Winnebago County Dept. of Social Services ], 489 U.S. [189]at 200 n. 8,109 S.Ct. 998 [,103 L.Ed.2d 249 (1989) ] (emphasis added).
Doe ,
In Doe , the Government's motion to dismiss was denied, in part because "plaintiffs [did] not concede that professional judgment was in fact exercised ... [and] the court obviously [could] not resolve that question against them on a motion to dismiss."
Furthermore, Defendants' argument that Plaintiff's pleading is somehow deficient for failure to allege that "the District did not exercise its professional judgment or stray from accepted professional judgment, practice, or standards," see Reply, ECF No. 13, at 12-13, is without merit. Complaint. See Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 62-67, 101, 102, 112 (describing the treatment Plaintiff was accorded); ¶¶ 69-74, 96-97, 107-108, 114-115, 117 (discussing applicable practices). Dismissals pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) are generally disfavored, and "[i]n light of these liberal pleading requirements, a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief." Kingman Park Civic Ass'n v. Williams ,
C. Plaintiff's Standing to Seek Prospective Injunctive Relief
"Article III of the Constitution confines the judicial power of federal courts to deciding actual 'Cases' or 'Controversies.' " Hollingsworth v. Perry,
To establish constitutional standing, a plaintiff bears the burden of demonstrating that it "(1) suffered an injury in fact, (2) that is fairly traceable to the challenged conduct of the defendant, and (3) that is likely to be redressed by a favorable judicial decision." Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins , --- U.S. ----,
*106The critical question in this case centers around injury in fact, which is the " '[f]irst and foremost' " element of standing. Spokeo ,
Defendants rely on City of Los Angeles v. Lyons ,
In contrast, in this case: (1) Plaintiff is still subject to the original 1981 Commitment Order committing him to the custody of St. Elizabeths; (2) he is still subject to recommitment back to St. Elizabeths under a conditional release order issued by the D.C. Superior Court on May 3, 2017; and (3) he has a history of recommitment back to St. Elizabeths over the past 36 years. See Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 8, 44, 45. Plaintiff argues that these factors create "a sufficiently reasonably likelihood that Defendant will subject Plaintiff to the restraint practice again in the future." Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF No. 11, at 26; see Washington v. Harper ,
Based upon Plaintiff's lengthy history at St. Elizabeths - during which he has been granted several conditional releases since his commitment - and the fact that he was conditionally released and is subject to recommitment for violation of the conditions of his release or a deterioration of his mental health, this Court finds it reasonable to infer that Plaintiff is likely to violate the conditions of his release and be subject to recommitment at St. Elizabeths. See Compl., ECF No. 1, ¶ 45 ("After being conditionally released from St. Elizabeths and re-committed on multiple occasions for failing to meet the conditions of release[,]" Plaintiff was conditionally released by Order dated June 5, 2007, but he was subsequently incarcerated, then recommitted, and again conditionally released by Order dated May 3, 2017); see also Pl.'s Opp'n, ECF No. 11, at 26 n.8 (noting that the conditions of Plaintiff's release are "highly restrictive" and require Plaintiff to (1) participate in therapeutic activities such as structured activities at a community-based day treatment program at least three days per week and/or have approved employment at least three days per week, attend psychotherapy at least once a month, and attend AA/NA meetings weekly; and (2) comply with all requests for information on treatment made by the Forensic Outpatient Department or the Hospital; and (3) refrain from consuming alcohol, using marijuana or illegal drugs, and getting arrested, and Plaintiff must take all his medications). Accordingly, this Court finds that Plaintiff has standing to pursue his claim for prospective injunctive relief.
D. Substitution of the District of Columbia for all Named Defendants
Defendants assert that this Court should substitute the District of Columbia in place of the four individual Defendants who have been sued in their official capacity, on grounds that a Section 1983 suit brought against municipal officials in their official capacities is equivalent to a suit against the municipality. See Defs.' Mot., ECF No. 9, at 30-31; (citing Lopez v. District of Columbia ,
A separate Order accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
The Court's consideration focused on the following documents: (1) Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, and for Compensatory Damages ("Compl."), ECF No. 1; (2) Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Complaint and Memorandum of Points and Authorities in support thereof ("Defs.' Mot. to Dismiss"), ECF No. 9; (3) Plaintiff's Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Opposition to Defendants' Motion to Dismiss ("Pl.'s Opp'n"), ECF No. 11; and (4) Defendants' Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss ("Defs.' Reply"), ECF No. 13. In an exercise of its discretion, the Court finds that holding oral argument in this action would not be of assistance in rendering a decision. See LCvR 7(f).
Plaintiff "had been granted conditional Class "E" status, the highest level of patient privilege granted by the Hospital and which permitted him to leave Hospital grounds multiple days a week without supervision." Compl, ECF No. 1, ¶ 4.
Plaintiff's term of imprisonment was followed by five years of supervised release. June 22, 2016 Consent Order, ECF No. 9-1, at 1.
According to Plaintiff, it is the practice of St. Elizabeths to turn over custody of forensic patients to DOC for transport to and from court. Compl, ECF No. 1, ¶ 70.
The page cites are the page numbers assigned by the Electronic Case Filing ("ECF") system.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Warren HARRIS v. Muriel E. BOWSER
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published