Opinion ID: 3000613
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The July 12, 2004 Arrest

Text: For the July 12, 2004 arrest, the district court determined that there were no genuine issues of material fact relevant to the question whether Darr had probable cause to arrest Reynolds. In brief, whether a law enforcement officer had probable cause depends on whether, at the time of the arrest, it was reasonable for the officer to believe that the defendant had committed or was committing an offense. Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 91 (1964). This standard will be discussed in more detail in connection with the district court’s grant of summary judgment. The court based its decision, in part, on the police report, which discussed the evidence presented to Officer Darr prior to his arrest of Reynolds. In sum, the report provided that: Jamison showed Darr a computerized phone log displaying numerous phone calls from Reynolds. She told Darr she’d received five phone calls that day, and she considered several of those to be threatening. Darr then went to Reynolds, questioned him, and arrested him for harassment by telephone. Reynolds I, slip op. at 4. In the court’s view, these undisputed facts demonstrated that Darr had probable cause 8 No. 06-2170 to arrest Reynolds. Additional discovery would not uncover any disputed facts material to this central question. In addition, the court discussed Reynolds’ subsequent guilty plea to the telephone harassment charge. The court regarded the guilty plea as conclusive evidence that Officer Darr had probable cause to arrest Reynolds. Because of the preclusive effect of the guilty plea, the court determined that additional discovery was not necessary in relation to the July 12, 2004 arrest. Reynolds now argues that the district court’s order precluding discovery with respect to the July 12, 2004 arrest was an abuse of discretion because: (1) the decision was based on clearly erroneous factual findings, and (2) the decision was based on an erroneous conclusion of law. We reject both contentions. As for the factual findings, Reynolds argues that the district court abused its discretion by relying on facts in dispute. First, Reynolds asserts that, in light of his denial to Officer Darr of Jamison’s allegations, the court abused its discretion by relying on the fact that Jamison had received threatening phone calls. There is no dispute that Reynolds denied making the threatening phone calls. Officer Darr presumably found Jamison’s account of the threatening phone calls to be more credible than Reynolds’ denial. When acting on the complaint of a reasonably believable putative victim, an officer “[is] under no constitutional obligation to exclude all suggestions that the witness or victim is not telling the truth.” Beauchamp v. City of Noblesville, Indiana, 320 F.3d 733, 743 (7th Cir. 2003). Reynolds’ denial does not negate probable cause for his arrest; therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion by relying on the fact that Jamison received threatening phone calls from Reynolds in deciding to preclude discovery. Second, Reynolds states that both he and Jamison placed telephone calls to each other throughout the course of their No. 06-2170 9 relationship. Reynolds argues that, because over the course of their tumultuous relationship calls were made by both parties, the number of allegedly threatening phone calls relied upon by Officer Darr to make the July 12, 2004 arrest did not amount to harassment. Again, this allegation is not material nor are the relevant facts in dispute. Whether Jamison also placed calls to Reynolds does not bear on whether, at the time he arrested the plaintiff, Officer Darr had probable cause. If Officer Darr reasonably believed that Reynolds had committed the crime of telephone harassment, then he had probable cause to arrest the plaintiff. Therefore, the court did not abuse its discretion in precluding discovery as to the July 12th arrest. Third, Reynolds asserts that Jamison only mentioned the threatening calls after Darr questioned her about Reynolds’ complaint about the dog dispute. The fact that Reynolds originally called the police concerning the dispute over a dog and Jamison only discussed the calls after being questioned by Officer Darr is immaterial and is not in dispute. None of the material facts relied upon by the district court were in dispute and, thus, the court did not abuse its discretion in denying discovery as to the July 12, 2004 arrest.3 3