2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 11-25-2009 

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. C ity of W i ldwo o d P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-2987

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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w Di git al Reposit ory

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " D e nni s P att e r s on v

. C ity of W

i ldwood " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 198. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/198NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

__________ N o. 08- 2987

__________ DE NNI S P AT T E RS ON, A ppel l ant

v. C IT Y O F W IL D W O O D ; S GT . CH RI S T OP HE R H OWARD; PA TR O LM A N K EN N ETH PH I LLI PS; PATRO LM AN KEV I N FRA NC HV I LLE; PATRO LM AN DA NI EL RO SI ELLO

__________ A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt fort he D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 06- cv- 04334) Di s t r i c tJ u d g e : Ho n o r a b l e Re n e e M . Bu mb

__________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

on N ovember20, 2009 B efore: R E N D E L L , B A R R Y , and C H A G A R E S , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed : N ovember25, 2009)

__________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

__________T h e D istric t C o u rt h a d su b jec t m a tter ju risd ictio n o v e r th e f e d e ra l cla im s p u rsu a n t to 1 28 U . S. C . §§ 1331 and 1343. W e have appel l at e j ur i s di ct i on under28 U . S. C . § 1291, as th is m a tter is o n a p p e a l f ro m th e f in a l o rd e r o f

th e D istric t C o u rt. Pat t er s on i s appea l i ng fr om an or dergr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm entand di s m i s s i ng th e c a s e . T h e s ta n d a rd o f re v ie w is th e re f

o re p le n a ry. C o u d e n v . D u ffy , 446 F. 3d 483, 4 9 1 n . 3 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 6 ); A brah am v. R aso , 1 8 3 F .3 d 2 7 9 , 2 8 7 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ). 2 R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJ udge. D enni s Pat t er s on appea l s fr om the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm enton th e b a sis o f

q u a lifie d im m u n ity , co n ten d in g th a t th e D istric t C o u rt e rre d in d e ter m in in g , in r e l i a n c e o n l a n g u a g e f

r o m Sc o tt v. H

a rr is , 550 U . S. 372 ( 2007) , thati tcoul d notadopt Pat t er s on’ s ver s i on of the fa ct s forpurpos es of i t s rul i ng. W e agr ee w i t h Pat t er s on and w i l l t herefore vacate and rem and for further proceedings. 1 Pat t er s on i ns t i tut ed a § 1983 c i vi l act i on agai ns tthe C i t yof W i l dw ood and s ever al in d iv id u a ls, in c lu d in g S g t. C h risto p h e r H o w a rd , alle g in g v io latio n s o f h is F o u rth A m endmentr i ghtt o be fr ee f r om unr eas onabl e s ei zur e. H i s compl ai ntar os e outof an i n c i d e n tt h a to c c u r r e d i n S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 4 a tth e F a i r v i e w C a f é i n W i l d w o o d , N e w J e r s e y, w h e re , h e c o n ten d s, h e w a s illeg a llya rre ste d a n d e x c e ss iv e f o rc e w a s u se d a g a in st h im d u ri n g th e c o u rs e o f

a n ille g a l s e iz u re . A t i ssu e is th e D istri ct C o u rt ’s gra n t of su m m aryjud g m en t on P att erso n ’s e x c e ss iv e f

o rc e c laim a g a in st S g t. H o w a rd . A s th e D istric t C o u rt n o ted , the f a c ts re g a rd in g th e e v e n ts o f

th e e v e n in g in q u e stio n , an d th e a lleg e d u se o f f o rc e , w e re “ h ig h ly3

di s put ed. ” The D i s t r i ctC our tacc ur at el ys um m ar i zed the fa ct s as cont ended byeac h p a r t y: T he part i es di s put e w hetherPl ai nt i ff w as r es i s t i ng arr es tand

w hetherhe w as uncons ci ous w hi l e on the gr ound. Pl ai nt i ff as s er t s t hatw hen D efe ndantt ol d hi m he w as underarr es tand o rd e re d h im to tu rn a ro u n d , P lain tiff a ttem p ted to c o m p ly w i t h t he or der , butD efe ndant“gr abbed [ hi m ] bythe col l ar a n d in to th e – to th e g ro u n d [ h e ] w e n t.” (P l. D e p . 4 3 :5 -6 ). Pl ai nt i ff f

ur t hercl ai m s thatw hen he w as s l amm ed t o t he g ro u n d , h e h it th e g ro u n d f a c e f irst a n d w a s m o m e n tar ily knocked unc ons ci ous . T hus , Pl ai nt i ff a r gues , i tw as unr eas onabl e forD efe ndantt o punch Pl ai nt i ff i n t he fa ce. De f e n d a n tc o n t e s t s P l a i n t i f f ’ s v e r s i o n o f

th e f a c t s a n d c l a i ms t hatPl ai nt i ff w as r es i s t i ng arr es t . Speci fi cal l y , D efe ndant as s er t s t hatPl ai nt i ff a s s um ed a f i ght i ng s t ance and had t o be pul l ed aw ayfr om a gl as s w i ndow , w hi ch ca us ed both Pl ai nt i ff a n d De f e n d a n tt o f

a l l t o th e g r o u n d . De f

e n d a n tf u r t h e rc l a i ms th a t o n c e o n th e g ro u n d , P lain tiff w a s n o t u n c o n sc io u s b u t, r a t h e r , c o n t i n u e d t o r e s i s ta r r e s tb yf l a i l i n g h i s a r ms a b o u t . At th a t p o in t, D e f

e n d a n t p u n c h e d P lain tiff in th e f a c e o n e tim e to s u b d u e h i m. (D is t. C t. O p ., p p . 8 -9 .) T h e D istric t C o u rt n o ted th a t in th e u su a l ca se , o n su m m a ryju d g m e n t, i n d e ter m in in g w h e th e r a c o n stitu tio n a l v io latio n o c c u rre d , the C o u rt m u st ta k e th e f a c ts in t he l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o Pat t er s on and make al l r eas onabl e i nfer ence s i n hi s favor . T he D i s t r i ctC our tt hen not ed an e xcept i on t o t hi s rul e: “H ow ever , the courtneed notacc ept Pl ai nt i ff’ s ver s i on of the fa ct s t o t he ext enti ti s contr adi ct ed bythe evi dence i n t he r e c o r d . ” ( Di s t . Ct . Op . p . 9 . ) Th e Co u r tth e n r e f e r e n c e d l a n g u a g e f

r o m Sc o tt v. H

a rr is , supra , fort he pr opos i t i on t hatw hen a “ bl at antcontr adi ct i on” r ender s a pl ai nt i ff’ s ver s i on4

es s ent i al l yunbel i evabl e, t he courts houl d notappl ythe us ual s t andar d: “[w ] hen oppos i ng part i es t el l t w o d i fferentst ori es, on e of w hich i s bl at antl ycon t radi ct ed b ythe record, so th a t n o re a so n a b le ju ryc o u ld b e liev e it, a c o u rt sh o u ld n o t ad o p t th a t v e rsio n o f th e f a c ts forpurpos es of rul i ng on a mot i on fors um m aryj udgm ent . ” ( D i s t . C t . O p. p. 9, quot i ng Sc o tt v. H

a rr is , 5 5 0 U . S . 3 7 2 , 3 8 0 , 1 2 7 S . C t. 1 7 6 9 , 1 7 7 6 (20 0 7 ). ) T he D i s t r i ctC our tt hen pr ocee ded t o poi ntt o t w o as pect s of the r ecor d t hat contr adi ct ed the ver s i on offe r ed byPat t er s on, s o as t o caus e the C our tnott o vi ew the evi dence i n a l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o hi m . O ne s uch contr adi ct i on w as pr es ent ed byt he vi deo t aken of

Pat t er s on w hen he w as i n t he bac k s eatof the pol i ce c ar . I n t he vi deo, Pat t er s on s t at ed thathe “doe s notl i ke bei ng punched i n t he fa ce, ” and hi s m annerof sp ee ch su g g ested that h e w as in tox icated at th e ti m e. F rom this, the D istri ct C o u rt concl uded thatPat t er s on w as notuncons ci ous w hen he w as punched i n t he fa ce, s i nce he w a s a b le to re c a ll th e p u n c h w h ile s itt in g in th e p o lice c a r, an d f u rth e r, th a t h is in a b ili tyto rem em ber cou l d alt ernat i velybe attri bu t ed to i ntoxi cat i on , rather than un con sci ou sness. T he s econd s our ce of

contr adi ct i on w as the t es t i m onyof the cl ub’ s bouncer , w ho w i t nes s ed the arr es t . H e t es t i fi ed thatPat t er s on w as r es i s t i ng arr es tand w as not c o o p e ra tiv e w ith th e o f f ic e rs . T he D i s t r i ctC our tconcl uded that“no r eas onabl e j urycoul d fi nd thatPl ai nt i ff w as u n c o n sc io u s w h ile o n th e g ro u n d . R a th e r, th e e v id e n c e sh o w s th a t P lain tiff a c tiv e ly r es i s t ed arr es tand D efe ndantact ed r eas onabl yt o s ubdue hi m . T her efor e, noSee, e. g. , R e: B uberv. Tow ns hi p of O ld B r i dge , 2007 U . S. D i s t . L E X I S 93841, *8 2 (D .N .J., D e c . 2 1 , 2 0 0 7 ) (n o tin g th a t a 9 1 1 c a ll an d ra d io tra n sm iss io n d id n o t co n c lu siv e ly demonstr at e w hetherpol i ce of fi cer s had r epea t edl yhi tthe pl ai nt i ff a nd hol di ng that

5 c o n stitu tio n a l v io latio n o c c u rre d a n d D e f e n d a n t is e n tit led to su m m a ryju d g m e n t o n th is ch arg e.” (D ist . C t. O p . p . 1 1 . ) Pat t er s on cont ends t hatt he D i s t r i ctC our ti m pr oper l yappl i ed the l i m i t ed exc ept i on s etfor t h i n Sc o tt v. H

a rr is , and al s o i m pr oper l yw ei ghed evi dence i n a mannernot appr opr i at e att he s um m aryj udgm ents t age. W e agr ee. T he l i m i t ed exc ept i on s etfor th by t he Supr eme C our ti n Sc o tt v. H a rr is does notappl yi n t he i ns t antfac tpatt ern. U nl i ke t he vi deot ape r el i ed upon byt he Supr eme C our ti n Sc o tt , w hi ch depi ct ed the ac tual incid en t, the v ideo tape in this ca se d id n o t cap ture the incid en t and co u ld n o t th ere fo re co n tr ad ict , letalon e “ b lat an tl yco n tr ad ict , ” the rec o rd a s to w h at oc cu rred . W h il e the jury m i ghtconcl ude thatt he vi deot ape w as i ncons i s t entw i t h, orgave r i s e t o di ffe r ent i nfer ence s r egar di ng, Pat t er s on’ s ver s i on of eve nt s , the vi deot ape i n t hi s cas e does not p o rtraythe a ctua l i n cide n t; itca n n o t, an d d o es n o t, “b lat an tl yco n tr ad ict ” P att erso n ’s ver s i on of eve nt s as t he vi deo di d i n Sco t tv. H arris. T here, the v i deo of the po l i ce cha se contr adi ct ed Scot t ’ s ver s i on of the keyeventon w hi ch the cl ai m w as bas ed. A s Pat t er s on not es , cour t s have de cl i ned t o appl ythe l i m i t ed exc ept i on s etfort h i n Sc o tt v. H a rr is w her e a vi deot ape orot herm echa ni cal depi ct i on does notcaptur e the w hol e i nci dentor th e e n tire a rre st, o r w h e re th e v id e o tap e o r m e c h a n ica l d e p ictio n is s u sc e p tib le to m u lti p le reas on able i nterpret at i on s. 2“[t ] hi s i s notan i ns t ance , as w as i n Sc o tt , w her e the ent i r e arr es tw as r ecor ded byvi deo,

and the vi deo fa i l ed t o demonstr at e thatPl ai nt i ff ha d been punc hed orki cked a s a lleg e d .”); Mi l l

s v. C i t y of H arrisburg , 589 F. Supp. 2d 544, 553 n. 5 ( M . D . Pa. 2008) ( d e c l i n i n g t o a p p l y Sc o tt v. H a rr is b e c a u se th e re lev a n t au d io re c o rd in g w a s “ su sc e p tib le t o m ul t i pl e r eas onabl e i nt erpr et at i ons ” unl i ke the vi deot ape i n Sc o tt). 6 W e agr ee, fur t her , t hatcr edi t i ng the t es t i m onyof the cl ub’ s bouncer , and co n clud ing that itco n tr ad ict s P att erso n ’s ve rsi o n in su ch a w ayas to alt er the stan d ard a n d p r e c l u d e P a t t e r s o n f r o m p r o c e e d i n g t o tr i a l , w a s i m p r o p e r . T h e b o u n c e r ’ s t e s t i m o n y, t ogetherw i t h al l ot hert es t i m ony , s houl d be hea r d bya j ury , and i t s cr edi bi l i t yj udged acc or di ngl y . A cce pt i ng t he bounce r ’ s ver s i on overPat t er s on’ s atthe s um m aryj udgm ent s ta g e w a s e rr o r. I n l i ghtof the for egoi ng, t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s um m aryj udgm enti n favor of Sgt . H ow ar d bas ed on qual i fi ed i m m uni t yi n l i ghtof the abs ence of a c ons t i tut i onal vi ol at i on w i l l be V A C A T E D and the mat t erR E M A N D E D forfur t herpr ocee di ngs i n the D istric t C o u rt.