Opinion ID: 203445
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Abuse of Process Claim

Text: A plaintiff must prove two elements to make out a claim for abuse of process under Puerto Rico law: (1) that the defendant had a bad motive; and (2) that it used the legal process for an improper, collateral objective. González-Rucci I, 405 F.3d at 49 (quoting Microsoft Corp. v. Computer Warehouse, 83 F. Supp. 2d 256, 261 (D.P.R. 2000)). In contrast to malicious prosecution claims, which are generally directed to a legal action as a whole, abuse of process claims typically cover[] challenges to the legal action's procedural components, such as subpoenas or discovery mechanisms. Id. (citing Nogueras-Cartagena, 172 F. Supp. 2d at 316). The district court found that González did not meet her burden of showing any procedural component of her criminal prosecution was influenced by a bad motive, or conducted with the purpose of attaining an improper collateral objective, for two reasons. González-Rucci II, 460 F. Supp. 2d at 314. First, she failed to put forth any evidence to show that Reyes or the prosecutors obtained her indictment by presenting knowingly false testimony to the grand jury. Second, she failed to prove that any aspect of Reyes's investigation was at all related to her rejection of Núñez -- and thus potentially tainted by the latter's alleged resentment. -12- What we have said above allows us easily to dispose of this ground of appeal. The district court was well within its discretion in determining that Reyes's investigation, and the actions of the U.S. Attorney's Office in response to Reyes's findings, were performed in good faith and were not influenced by Núñez or anyone else at the INS office hostile to González. Without this link, the record does not show the requisite bad motive on the part of Reyes or the prosecutors who sought subpoenas, undertook discovery, and participated in the other procedural aspects of González's criminal case. As such, we must also affirm the dismissal of González's abuse of process claim.