Source: http://openjurist.org/468/f3d/1204/lippoldt-v-cole
Timestamp: 2015-10-13 21:50:06
Document Index: 664754741

Matched Legal Cases: ['art, 42', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 1']

468 F3d 1204 Lippoldt v. Cole | OpenJurist
468 F. 3d 1204 - Lippoldt v. Cole HomeFederal Reporter, Third Series468 F.3d
468 F3d 1204 Lippoldt v. Cole 468 F.3d 1204
Donna LIPPOLDT, individually; Operation Save America, an unincorporated association; Philip Benham, individually, Plaintiffs-Appellants and Cross-Appellees,v.Stephen COLE, Deputy Chief, in his official and individual capacity as an agent/employee of the city of Wichita, Kansas; Beth Harlenske, in her official and individual capacity as an agent/employee of the city of Wichita, Kansas; City of Wichita, a political subdivision of the State of Kansas, Defendants-Appellees and Cross-Appellants.
No. 04-3168.
No. 04-3322.
Frederick H. Nelson, American Liberties Institute, Orlando, FL, (Richard A. Macias, Wichita, Kansas, with him on the briefs), for Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees.
Plaintiffs appeal (04-3156) and defendants cross-appeal (04-3168) the district court's orders concerning the constitutionality of the City of Wichita's ("City") denial of plaintiffs' ten parade permits, and a municipal court bond order. Lippoldt v. City of Wichita, 265 F.Supp.2d 1228 (D.Kan. May 28, 2003); Lippoldt v. Cole, 311 F.Supp.2d 1263 (D.Kan. Mar.31, 2004). Plaintiffs' counsel also appeal (04-3322) the district court's decision denying most of their requested attorney fees.
"In an appeal from a bench trial, we review the district court's factual findings for clear error and its legal conclusions de novo." Keys Youth Servs., Inc. v. City of Olathe, 248 F.3d 1267, 1274 (10th Cir.2001); Sanpete Water Conservancy Dist. v. Carbon Water Conservancy Dist., 226 F.3d 1170, 1177-78 (10th Cir.2000).
We review issues of statutory interpretation de novo, Hill v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., 393 F.3d 1111, 1117 (10th Cir.2004), and begin with the language of the statute itself, United States Dept. of Treasury v. Fabe, 508 U.S. 491, 500, 113 S.Ct. 2202, 124 L.Ed.2d 449 (1993). In relevant part, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 states:
While Section 1983 itself is silent as to this issue, the Supreme Court, beginning with Monell v. New York City Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978), has had a number of occasions to consider whether a particular entity is a "person" under Section 1983. See, e.g, Monell, 436 U.S. at 690, 98 S.Ct. 2018 (holding that municipalities are subject to suit as "persons" under Section 1983); Will v. Michigan Dept. of State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 71, 109 S.Ct. 2304, 105 L.Ed.2d 45 (1989) (holding that a State is not a "person" amenable to suit under Section 1983); Ngiraingas v. Sanchez, 495 U.S. 182, 192, 110 S.Ct. 1737, 109 L.Ed.2d 163 (1990) (holding that neither the Territory of Guam nor an officer thereof acting in his official capacity is a "person" under Section 1983); Inyo County, Cal. v. Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Colony, 538 U.S. 701, 711-12, 123 S.Ct. 1887, 155 L.Ed.2d 933 (2003) (holding that a Tribe is not a "person" who may sue under Section 1983 to vindicate its rights as a sovereign). Consequently, we are not without guidance in this area.
To determine whether an entity "constitutes a `person' within the meaning of § 1983, we examine the statute's language and purpose," Ngiraingas, 495 U.S. at 186, 110 S.Ct. 1737, while keeping in mind "the `legislative environment' in which the word [person] appears," Inyo County Cal., 538 U.S. at 711, 123 S.Ct. 1887 (citations omitted). Essentially, this requires that we seek an "indicia of congressional intent at the time the statute was enacted." Ngiraingas, 495 U.S. at 187, 110 S.Ct. 1737. In Monell, the Supreme Court considered three factors in holding that Congress intended that municipalities be considered "persons" potentially liable under Section 1983:(1) legislative history, (2) the general treatment of corporations in 1871, and (3) the Act of Feb. 25, 1871, § 2, 16 Stat. 431 (the "Dictionary Act of 1871"). See Monell, 436 U.S. at 686-89, 98 S.Ct. 2018; see also Ngiraingas, 495 U.S. at 192, 110 S.Ct. 1737 n. 11 (characterizing Monell as turning on "the legislative history[,] . . . the general treatment of corporations (including municipal corporations) . . . and on the 1871 version of the Dictionary Act").
Although Monell dealt only with municipal liability under Section 1983, we have relied upon it to conclude that a municipality may also bring suit under Section 1983. Rural Water Dist. No. 1, Ellsworth County, Kan. v. City of Wilson, Kan., 243 F.3d 1263, 1274 (10th Cir.2001) ("[I]n light of Monell, it would be a strained analysis to hold, as a matter of statutory construction, that a municipal corporation was a `person' within one clause of section 1983, but not a `person' within another clause of the same statute.") (quoting South Macomb Disposal Auth. v. Township of Washington, 790 F.2d 500, 503 (6th Cir.1986)). While there is no per se rule of statutory interpretation that identical words used in different parts of the same act are intended to have the same meaning, there is a presumption that this is so. See United States v. Cleveland Indians Baseball Co., 532 U.S. 200, 214, 121 S.Ct. 1433, 149 L.Ed.2d 401 (2001). As such, Monell also guides our determination of whether an unincorporated association is a "person" and, thus, a proper claimant under Section 1983.
In light of Monell and its progeny, therefore, we consider (1) the legislative history of Section 1983, (2) the general understanding, as of 1871, regarding the legal personality of unincorporated associations, and (3) the Dictionary Act of 1871. First, there is no indication within the legislative history of Section 1983 that Congress considered the term "persons" to include unincorporated associations. Rather, the history cited in Monell illustrates that municipalities, unlike unincorporated associations, were targeted as entities to whom Section 1 of the 1871 Civil Rights Act, and therefore Section 1983, applied. See Monell, 436 U.S. at 686-87, 98 S.Ct. 2018 ("[Representative] Bingham's further remarks clearly indicate his view that . . . takings by cities . . . would be redressable under § 1 of the bill."). In fact, comments made by several members of Congress indicate a restricted view of who could qualify as a proper Section 1983 plaintiff. See Monell, 436 U.S. at 683, 98 S.Ct. 2018 ("[Section 1] . . . provides a civil remedy . . . to all people where, under color of State law, they or any of them may be deprived of rights to which they are entitled under the Constitution by reason and virtue of their national citizenship.") (emphasis added) (quoting Cong. Globe, 42d Cong., 1st Sess., App. 68 (1871)) (Rep.Shellabarger); id. at 685, 98 S.Ct. 2018 n. 45 ("Representative Bingham, the author of § 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment . . . declared the bill's purpose to be `the enforcement . . . of the Constitution on behalf of every individual citizen of the Republic . . . to the extent of the rights guarantied to him by the Constitution.'") (emphasis added) (quoting Cong. Globe, 42d Cong., 1st Sess., App. 81 (1871)).
Next, there was no general understanding in 1871, when the precursor to Section 1983 was passed, that unincorporated associations should be treated as natural persons. Instead, the common law essen