Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-09-30712/USCOURTS-ca5-09-30712-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Christopher Ahner
Appellee
Brandt Arceneaux
Appellee
Jonathan Bieber
Appellee
City of New Orleans
Appellee
Tocka Clark
Appellee
Lynn Fletcher
Appellee
Reginald Gains
Appellee
Piyush Jindal
Appellee
Melanie C. Lockett
Appellant
Shawn M. Lockett
Appellant
Clarence Ray Nagin
Appellee
Warren Riley
Appellee
Joseph Thomas
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 09-30712

Summary Calendar

SHAWN M. LOCKETT; MELANIE C. LOCKETT,

Plaintiffs-Appellants

v.

NEW ORLEANS CITY; PIYUSH JINDAL, also known as Bobby Jindal, in his

Official Capacity as Governor of Louisiana; CLARENCE RAY NAGIN, Mayor,

in his Official Capacity as Mayor of New Orleans; WARREN RILEY,

Superintendent, in his Official Capacity as Superintendent of the New

Orleans Police Department; CHRISTOPHER AHNER, Individually and in his

Official Capacity as Master Sergeant in the Louisiana Air National Guard;

JONATHAN BIEBER, Individually and in his Official Capacity as a member

of the Louisiana National Guard; BRANDT ARCENEAUX, Individually and

in his Official Capacity as a member of the Louisiana National Guard; LYNN

FLETCHER, Individually and in his Official Capacity as a Lieutenant in the

New Orleans Police Department; REGINALD GAINS, Individually and in his

Official Capacity as a New Orleans Police Officer; TOCKA CLARK,

Individually and in her Official Capacity as a New Orleans Police Officer;

JOSEPH THOMAS, Individually and in his Official Capacity as a Southern

University of New Orleans Campus Police Officer, 

Defendants-Appellees

Appeal from the United States District Court 

for the Eastern District of Louisiana

USDC No. 2:08-cv-04712

Before BENAVIDES, PRADO, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

F I L E D

May 5, 2010

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

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No. 09-30712

 Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not *

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR.

R. 47.5.4.

2

PER CURIAM:*

Plaintiffs-Appellants Shawn M. Lockett and his wife, Melanie C. Lockett,

seek the reversal of the district court’s grant of summary judgment for

Defendants-Appellees in this civil rights action, which stems from his arrest

based on a traffic violation. We affirm.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

In July of 2008, Lockett was driving in his vehicle to a class at the

Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO). At the same time, two military

police officers, Jonathan Bieber and Brandt Arceneaux, were conducting patrol

in the area as members of the National Guard Task Force assisting the New

Orleans Police Department (NOPD) with law enforcement duties pursuant to an

order issued by Governor Jindal after Hurricane Katrina. Bieber and Arceneaux

observed Lockett’s vehicle and believed it to be traveling over the speed limit.

Based on this observation, the defendants effectuated a traffic stop of Lockett. 

Lockett pulled over in a driveway that was in close proximity to both

SUNO and the FBI building. Bieber walked to Lockett’s vehicle and asked him

if he knew how fast he was driving. Lockett responded that he did not know his

speed but stated that he was driving with the flow of traffic. Bieber then asked

Lockett where he was driving. Lockett stated that he was going to class. Bieber

then gestured toward the FBI building and asked Lockett “how would you like it

if I went in there and talked to your instructor?” After realizing that Bieber

thought he was referring to a class at the FBI building, Lockett told Bieber that

he was a student at SUNO. According to Lockett, Bieber responded: “You need

to be at SUNO.” Lockett was offended by the comment and asked Bieber why he

would “say such a thing.” In response, Bieber ordered Lockett to exit the vehicle

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No. 09-30712

 Melanie Lockett is an attorney but she is not an attorney for the plaintiffs in this 1

proceeding.

3

and produce his license, registration and proof of car insurance. After Lockett

exited the vehicle, Bieber frisked Lockett. 

Lockett provided the documents requested; however, the insurance card in

his possession had expired and he did not have proof of current insurance. Using

his cell phone, Lockett called his insurance company in an unsuccessful attempt

to prove to Bieber that he currently had the required insurance. Lockett also

called the emergency number 911, reported that the military police officers had

made racial slurs, and requested that NOPD officers be dispatched to the scene.

He also called his wife Melanie and requested her assistance at the scene. At 1

about this time, Arceneaux frisked Lockett. A SUNO police officer, Joseph

Thomas, stopped at the scene and Lockett complained to Thomas that he was

being treated in a hostile and racist manner. Thomas then spoke to Arceneaux

and Bieber.

After hearing Lockett request NOPD officers, Bieber called his supervisor,

Christopher Ahner, and asked him to meet them at the scene. Ahner then called

and requested the presence of Lynn Fletcher of the NOPD. Fletcher in turn

called for an additional NOPD patrol car, which brought NOPD Officers Reginald

Gains and Tocka Clark to the scene. Once Ahner arrived, he also frisked Lockett,

affixed the handcuffs, and placed Lockett in the military police vehicle. By that

time, Lockett’s wife Melanie had arrived and witnessed her husband being placed

in handcuffs. 

At one point, NOPD Officer Clark asked Arceneaux to roll down the

military vehicle’s window because it was hot, and he complied. After the various

defendants at the scene conferred, Lockett was arrested for reckless driving.

NOPD Officer Gains frisked him and removed the military-issued handcuffs and

placed NOPD handcuffs on Lockett. Gains and Clark took custody of Lockett and

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No. 09-30712

4

delivered him to jail. After about three hours, Lockett was released from jail.

Later that day, he made a complaint at the office of the Louisiana National

Guard that his wrists were hurt by the handcuffs. Ultimately, Lockett pleaded

guilty to a non-moving violation, paid a fine, and the other charges were

dismissed.

In October of 2008, Shawn and Melanie Lockett filed a complaint asserting

claims arising out of Lockett’s arrest against the City of New Orleans; Governor

Jindal, in his Official Capacity as Governor of Louisiana; Clarence Ray Nagin,

Mayor, in his Official Capacity as Mayor of New Orleans; Warren Riley,

Superintendent, in his Official Capacity as Superintendent of the NOPD;

Christopher Ahner, Individually and in his Official Capacity as Master Sergeant

in the Louisiana Air National Guard; Jonathan Bieber, Individually and in his

Official Capacity as a member of the Louisiana National Guard; Brandt

Arceneaux, Individually and in his Official Capacity as a member of the

Louisiana National Guard; Lynn Fletcher, Individually and in his Official

Capacity as a Lieutenant in the NOPD; Reginald Gains, Individually and in his

Official Capacity as a NOPD officer; Tocka Clark, Individually and in her Official

Capacity as a NOPD officer; and Joseph Thomas, Individually and in his Official

Capacity as a SUNO campus police officer. The complaint alleged claims under

42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983, 1985(3), 1986, and 1988, as well as numerous

supplemental state law claims including assault and battery, false arrest, false

imprisonment, malicious abuse of power, intentional infliction of emotional

distress. 

On May 13, 2009, the “state defendants,” Ahner, Arceneaux, Bieber, and

Thomas, filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing, among other things, that

the claims were barred by qualified immunity. On May 22, the “city defendants,”

Mayor Nagin, NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley, NOPD Lt. Fletcher, and

NOPD Officers Clark and Gaines filed a motion to dismiss, and in the alternative,

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No. 09-30712

 The plaintiffs do not appeal the dismissal of their claims against the defendants in

2

their official capacities.

5

a motion for judgment as a matter of law. On June 26, the district court issued

an 89-page order and reasons granting the state defendants’ motion to dismiss

and motion for summary judgment. Four days later, the district court granted

the city defendant’s motion to dismiss and motion for summary judgment. On

July 13, the plaintiffs filed a motion for new trial, which the district court denied.

The plaintiffs now appeal. 

2

II. ANALYSIS

A. Standard of Review

This Court reviews a district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo,

applying the same standards as the district court. See XL Specialty Ins. Co. v.

Kiewit Offshore Serv., Ltd., 513 F.3d 146, 149 (5th Cir. 2008); Hirras v. Nat’l R.R.

Passenger Corp., 95 F.3d 396, 399 (5th Cir. 1996). Summary judgment is proper

if the record reflects “that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and

that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

B. 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims

1. False Arrest

Lockett contends that the district court erred in finding that the defendants

were entitled to qualified immunity with respect to his claim of false arrest. As

set forth below, because there is no genuine issue of material fact as to whether

the defendants had probable cause to believe that Lockett was driving in

violation of the speed limit, his arrest does not violate the Fourth Amendment.

The district court therefore properly afforded the defendants qualified immunity

regarding his claim of false arrest.

The doctrine of qualified immunity shields government officials “from

liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly

established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would

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No. 09-30712

6

have known.” Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818 (1982). In Saucier v. Katz,

533 U.S. 194 (2001), the Supreme Court set forth a two-step inquiry for resolving

government officials’ qualified immunity claims: first, a court must decide

whether the facts alleged or shown are sufficient to make out a violation of a

constitutional right; second, the court must decide whether the right at issue was

“clearly established” at the time of the defendant’s alleged misconduct. Id. at

201. If the official’s conduct violated a clearly established constitutional right,

then qualified immunity is not applicable. Additionally, in a recent decision, the

Supreme Court explained that “while the sequence set forth [in Saucier ] is often

appropriate, it should no longer be regarded as mandatory,” and that judges

“should be permitted to exercise their sound discretion in deciding which of the

two prongs of the qualified immunity analysis should be addressed first in light

of the circumstances in the particular case at hand.” Pearson v. Callahan, ---U.S.

----, 129 S.Ct. 808, 818 (2009).

Lockett concedes that “[a]t the moment of the traffic stop, [the officers]

arguably had probable cause to stop [him] for careless driving.” Nonetheless, he

contends that because the officers have admitted that they did not believe that

careless driving was an “arrestable offense,” there was no probable cause to

arrest him. Lockett relies on the following language in Refendi v. Miller:

“Probable cause exists when the totality of the facts and circumstances within a

police officer’s knowledge at the moment of arrest are sufficient for a reasonable

person to conclude that the suspect had committed or was committing an

offense.” 203 F.3d 902, 903 (5th Cir. 2000) (emphasis in brief). Lockett

misconstrues this precedent. That quoted language is referring to facts within

the officer’s knowledge—not whether the officer was aware of the legal

consequences of the facts. 

To analyze Lockett’s claim, it is important to understand what he does not

argue. In his brief, Lockett does not challenge the probable cause the officers had

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No. 09-30712

 We note that because Lockett has raised a fact issue with respect to whether he

3

committed moving violations in addition to speeding, we do not rely on those alleged offenses

in finding as a matter of law that the defendants had probable cause to arrest him.

7

to make the traffic stop based on his speeding. Instead, Lockett asserts that

“probable cause for a traffic stop is separate and distinct from the probable cause

necessary to affect an arrest when the initial probable cause for the traffic stop

is insufficient for the arrest.” Lockett is mistaken. “If an officer has probable

cause to believe that an individual has committed even a very minor criminal

offense in his presence, he may, without violating the Fourth Amendment, arrest

the offender.” Atwater v. City of Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318, 354 (2001). In

Atwater, the very minor criminal offense was the plaintiff’s failure to fasten a

seatbelt. Id. at 349. Significantly, in its opinion, the Supreme Court rejected

Atwater’s contention that “it would not be reasonable to arrest a driver for

speeding unless the speeding rose to the level of reckless driving.” Id. at 349-50.

Therefore, in the instant case, because the defendants had probable cause to

believe that Lockett had been driving in violation of the speed limit, the arrest

did not violate a clearly established constitutional right.

Nonetheless, Lockett claims that the defendants conspired to violate his

“constitutional rights by stacking traffic violations against him to justify an

arrest made in retaliation for complaining of race discrimination and

harassment.” Our precedent, however, “clearly dictates [that] subjective intent,

motive, or even outright animus are irrelevant in a determination of qualified

immunity based on arguable probable cause to arrest, just as an officer’s good

intent is irrelevant when he contravenes settled law.” Mendenhall v. Riser, 213

F.3d 226, 231 (5th Cir. 2000).3

In sum, because there is no genuine issue of material fact with respect to

whether the defendants had probable cause to believe Lockett was speeding,

Lockett has not alleged facts sufficient to make out a claim of false arrest. Thus,

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No. 09-30712

8

the district court properly found that the defendants were entitled to qualified

immunity with respect to the claim of false arrest. 

2. Excessive Force

Lockett next contends that he has raised a fact issue with respect to his

claim of excessive use of force, and thus, the district court erred in finding that

the defendants were entitled to qualified immunity. To establish an excessive

use of force claim, a plaintiff must demonstrate “(1) an injury (2) which resulted

directly and only from the use of force that was excessive to the need and (3) the

force used was objectively unreasonable.” Glenn v. City of Tyler, 242 F.3d 307,

314 (5th Cir. 2001) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). Further,

the “injury must be more than a de minimis injury and must be evaluated in the

context in which the force was deployed.” Id. 

Lockett asserts that he sustained an injury to his wrists when the

defendants affixed the handcuffs too tightly, causing him pain. Lockett has

admitted that he did not complain to the defendants about the pain while he was

handcuffed, and the jail’s medical intake screening form does not indicate that

Lockett complained of pain. However, after being released from the jail, Lockett

and his wife met with Major Douget of the Louisiana National Guard, and he

complained that the handcuffs had hurt his wrist. Also, several days later,

Lockett visited a physician, complaining of pain in his wrists. However, at his

deposition, Lockett testified he was not currently under his physician’s care for

the wrist injury. 

Lockett’s claim boils down to an allegation that the handcuffs were too

tight. Such a claim, without more, does not constitute excessive force: “This

court finds that handcuffing too tightly, without more, does not amount to

excessive force.” Glenn, 242 F.3d at 314; accord Freeman v. Gore, 483 F.3d 404,

417 (5th Cir. 2007) (rejecting as de minimis the plaintiff’s claim “that the

deputies twisted her arms behind her back while handcuffing her, ‘jerked her all

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No. 09-30712

 Glenn, 242 F.3d at 314. 4

9

over the carport,’ and applied the handcuffs too tightly, causing bruises and

marks on her wrists and arms.”).

Lockett also contends that the defendants’ multiple searches of his person

constitute excessive use of force. We first note that Lockett fails to allege an

injury resulting from the pat downs. Further, Lockett’s deposition testimony

completely undermines his claim that the searches constituted excessive use of

force. When Lockett was asked “[d]o you think there was anything inappropriate

in the way [Bieber] searched you?,” he responded: “No. It seemed like a standard

search to me.” Lockett also testified that Arceneaux searched him

“[a]ppropriately.” With respect to Ahner’s search of his person, Lockett testified

that Ahner’s pat down was similar in manner to the previous two pat downs.

Lockett further testified that, at one point, Arceneaux removed the handcuffs and

allowed him to stretch his arms before putting the handcuffs back on “in a much

more appropriate way, so instead of my arms being between my shoulder blades

now they are just in a normal way behind my back.” Lockett testified that after

Ahner placed him once again in handcuffs, “it was much more comfortable.”

Subsequently, NOPD Officer Gains took off the handcuffs belonging to the

Louisiana National Guard and replaced them with NOPD handcuffs. At that

point, Lockett testified he was once again allowed to stretch his arms. Officer

Gains also performed a “[g]eneral pat down” on Lockett as he was transferred to

the custody of the NOPD.

In light of the above testimony and the lack of a “more than de minimis

injury,” we are persuaded that Lockett has failed to make a claim of excessive 4

use of force with respect to the pat downs. Thus, the defendants were properly

accorded qualified immunity with respect to the claim of excessive use of force.

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No. 09-30712

10

3. Reasonableness of Search and Seizure

Lockett’s final § 1983 claim is that the district court erred in granting the

defendants qualified immunity because he raised a genuine issue of fact with

respect to whether the defendants’ conduct was objectively reasonable under the

Fourth Amendment. He argues that the defendants’ detention of him for

approximately an hour and their multiple searches of his person were objectively

unreasonable.

a. Length of Detention

As an initial matter, as set forth previously, the defendants did have

probable cause to arrest Lockett and detain him. With respect to the length of

the detention, because Lockett made three phones calls that lengthened the

duration of his detention, we do not believe he has stated a claim that the

defendants’ conduct was objectively unreasonable. More specifically, Lockett’s

failure to have a current proof of insurance card and his subsequent phone call

to his insurance company in an attempt to obtain proof of current insurance

lengthened the detention. Lockett also made phone calls to: (1) the emergency

number 911, requesting that NOPD officers meet him at the scene; and (2) his

wife, requesting that she meet him at the scene. Additionally, we note that the

transfer of custody of Lockett from the Louisiana National Guard to the NOPD

added to the length of the detention. In light of these circumstances, we conclude

that the one-hour detention is not unreasonable. Thus, we affirm the district

court’s grant of qualified immunity to the defendants as to the length of detention

claim.

b. Multiple Searches

The district court held that defendants’ multiple frisks of Lockett

constituted illegal searches under Supreme Court precedent because there was

no evidence that the defendants had a reasonable suspicion that Lockett was

armed. The district court concluded that Lockett had alleged facts sufficient to

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No. 09-30712

The analysis in Brigham did not involve a traffic stop based on probable cause. 382 5

F.3d at 506 n.4. 

11

constitute a violation of the Fourth Amendment, thus satisfying the first prong

of the qualified immunity test. Nonetheless, the district court granted the

defendants qualified immunity because it found that Lockett did not satisfy the

second prong, which requires that the constitutional right was clearly

established. 

With respect to whether the defendants’ searches of Lockett’s person

violated a clearly established right, the district court held as follows: 

Given the unique circumstances of this case, as well as the expressly

open question in the Fifth Circuit of whether and to what extent the

strictures of Terry [v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)], apply to probable

cause traffic stops for arrestable offenses, the Court finds that the

MP Defendants are entitled to qualified immunity as to Lockett’s

illegal search claims under Terry, as the right at issue was not

clearly established in light of the circumstances of this case. 

The district court apparently was referring to this Court’s recognition that “at

least one of our sister circuits has recently suggested that different constitutional

standards may apply to stops based on probable cause.” United States v.

Brigham, 382 F.3d 500, 506 n.4 (5th Cir. 2004) (en banc). We find it unnecessary 5

to address the first prong because we agree with the district court that it is not

clearly established that the defendants’ searches of Lockett’s person were

objectively unreasonable. 

Here, the defendants had probable cause to stop Lockett based on their

belief that he was speeding. As Lockett concedes, Bieber initially misunderstood

Lockett to be stating that he was affiliated with the FBI. Lockett testified that

Bieber’s statement that Lockett “need[ed] to go to SUNO” disturbed him and that

he asked Bieber “why [Bieber] would say such a thing?” Lockett concedes that

he could not provide a current proof of insurance card and made a phone call to

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No. 09-30712

 La. Rev. Stat. 32:861. 6

 We note that Robinson has been clarified; however, it is a portion of the holding that 7

does not directly apply to the instant case. See Arizona v. Gant, --- U.S. ----, 129 S.Ct. 1710,

1713 (2009). In Gant, the Supreme Court held that police officers may not conduct an

unwarranted search of the passenger compartment of a vehicle unless “it is reasonable to

believe that the arrestee might access the vehicle at the time of the search or that the vehicle

contains evidence of the offense of arrest.” Id. at 1713.

12

his insurance company in an attempt to obtain the required proof. Lockett 6

admits that he called “911” and informed the operator that the military police

were “making racial slurs” and requested NOPD officers “because the situation

looks like it’s getting out of hand.” Lockett then called his wife and asked her to

meet him at the scene. As requested, NOPD officers and Lockett’s wife arrived

on the scene. In view of the defendants’ initial misunderstanding regarding

Lockett’s FBI affiliation and Lockett’s multiple phone calls requesting assistance

of his attorney-wife and the presence of law enforcement officers from the NOPD

in addition to the Louisiana National Guard at the scene, this was an unusual

traffic stop. “The reasonableness of a Fourth Amendment search depends on the

circumstances under which the search was conducted.” United States v. GarciaGarcia, 319 F.3d 726, 731 (5th Cir. 2003). 

More to the point, the Supreme Court has held that “in the case of a lawful

custodial arrest a full search of the person is not only an exception to the warrant

requirement of the Fourth Amendment, but is also a ‘reasonable’ search under

that Amendment.” United States v. Robinson, 414 U.S. 218, 235 (1973). We note 7

that, like the instant case, Robinson involved an arrest based upon probable

cause that a traffic violation had occurred. Today we make no attempt to set

forth the state of the law in this Circuit regarding the limits on searching an

arrestee’s person during a traffic stop based on probable cause. Suffice it to say

that it was not clearly established that the defendants’ searches of Lockett’s

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No. 09-30712

 In a dissenting opinion, Justice O’Connor believed that, as a result of the majority 8

opinion in Atwater, 513 U.S. 318, the Fourth Amendment would allow a police officer to arrest

and search a driver if the officer has probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has

occurred. 532 U.S. at 372 (O’Connor, J., dissenting) (citations omitted).

13

person were objectively unreasonable under the facts surrounding this arrest.8

Thus, we affirm the district court’s grant of qualified immunity to the defendants

as to this claim.

C. 42 U.S.C. §§ 1985, 1986 claims

Lockett contends that the district court erred in dismissing his claims

under § 1985. Section 1985(3) prohibits, among other things, conspiracies to

deprive any person equal protection of the laws. To state a claim under § 1985(3),

a plaintiff must allege facts demonstrating (1) a conspiracy; (2) for the purpose

of depriving a person of the equal protection of the laws; and (3) an act in

furtherance of the conspiracy; (4) which causes injury to a person or a deprivation

of any right or privilege of a citizen of the United States. Hilliard v. Ferguson,

30 F.3d 649, 652-53 (5th Cir. 1994). Additionally, the conspiracy must also have

a racially based animus. Id. at 653. 

Lockett asserts that the defendants conspired to deprive him of his

constitutional rights based on his race and that the district court erred because

he created a genuine issue of fact with respect to this claim. Lockett points to the

following statement defendant Bieber made to Lockett: “You need to be at

SUNO.” From this short statement, Lockett testified that he understood Bieber

meant that: “SUNO being an African-American university and him telling me

that I need to go there as a substandard school that obviously he was insinuating

that an African-American school was a substandard school.” 

We agree with the district court that Bieber’s statement as alleged by

Lockett does not demonstrate the racial animus needed to raise a genuine issue

of material fact. This conclusion is supported by the undisputed fact that,

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No. 09-30712

14

although the driveway upon which the traffic stop occurred lead both to the FBI

building and SUNO, when Lockett told Bieber he was going to class, Bieber

assumed Lockett meant he was in training with the FBI—not SUNO. Moreover,

as set forth above, the defendants had probable cause to stop and arrest Lockett.

He was not detained for an unreasonable length of time and the defendants’ patdown searches of him have not been shown to have violated clearly established

rights. Indeed, his previously set forth deposition testimony describing the

defendants’ treatment of him during the searches (and adjustment of his

handcuffs) undermine any allegation of an act intended to injure him. We

conclude that he has not demonstrated facts sufficient to demonstrate a

conspiracy to deprive him of equal protection and the required act in furtherance

of the conspiracy that caused injury or deprivation of any right. We therefore

affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants

with respect to Lockett’s § 1985(3) claim.

Lockett also asserts a claim under § 1986, which provides that “[e]very

person who, having knowledge that any of the wrongs conspired to be done, and

mentioned in section 1985 . . . are about to be committed, and having power to

prevent or aid . . . neglects or refuses so to do . . . shall be liable to the party

injured.” Having failed to demonstrate a claim under § 1985, by definition

Lockett cannot sustain a claim under § 1986. Galloway v. State of La., 817 F.2d

1154, 1159 n.2 (5th Cir. 1987). 

D. State law claims

Lockett also contends that the district court improperly dismissed his state

claims as a matter of law. The only challenge that he adequately raises is that

the district court improperly held that the military police were immune under

Louisiana law. Lockett contends that under Louisiana law, the military police

should not have been granted immunity. Lockett relies on the following statutory

language: 

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No. 09-30712

15

This Section is not intended to prevent Civil Code Article 2320 or

other such laws from imposing master-servant liability on the state,

or to prevent Civil Code Articles 2315 et seq. generally from

imposing liability in circumstances to which such codal articles

and/or laws would otherwise impose liability for damages caused by

the offenses or quasi offenses of members of the National Guard

committed within the course and scope of their National Guard

duties when the Federal Tort Claims Act does not apply.

La. Rev. Stat. 29:23.1. However, as stated by the district court, that statute

expressly applies only to causes of action that arise during the time a National

Guard member is in training or the member’s status has not yet been activated.

The district court granted immunity based on the following statute, which

provides as follows:

No officer or other member of the military forces of this state shall

be indicted, prosecuted, or sued for any injury to any person or

property performed or committed by him while in the active service

of the state of Louisiana in the course of the business of the military

forces of this state as required of him by this Part.

La. Rev. Stat. 29:23. In his brief, Lockett does not dispute that the military police

defendants were in the course of the business of the military forces of Louisiana

during the arrest at issue. Accordingly, the district court properly found that §

23 applied and granted the military police qualified immunity. 

E. Bystander claim

Lockett’s final claim is that the district court improperly dismissed Melanie

Lockett’s bystander claim brought pursuant to La. Civ. Code art 2315.6, which

allows a spouse “who view[s] an event causing injury” to his or her spouse

to recover damages for mental anguish or emotional distress. More specifically,

“the injured person must suffer such harm that one can reasonably expect a

person in the claimant’s position to suffer serious mental anguish or emotional

distress from the experience, and the claimant’s mental anguish or emotional

distress must be severe, debilitating, and foreseeable.” Id. 

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No. 09-30712

16

We agree with the district court that Lockett has not raised a genuine issue

of material fact regarding whether Melanie witnessed Lockett suffer any injury

that one can reasonably expect would cause her severe, debilitating distress.

Thus, the district court properly denied Lockett relief on this claim.

III. CONCLUSION

For the above reasons, he judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.

 Case: 09-30712 Document: 00511100994 Page: 16 Date Filed: 05/05/2010